Harry Potter and the Grim Decision
by Mev852
Summary: WRITERS BLOCK AAHHH! AU. 6th Year. As harry begins mending the fences with his ex girlfriend, Cho Chang, He's captured by Death Eaters. Soon after, a chance meeting and a certain agreement helps Harry find the power he needs to destroy Voldemort.
1. The Package

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It is not mine. However, all OC's and the plotline are mine.

**A/N:** All I've done is made a few minor spelling and Grammar changes. I probably still missed a few, but at least it's better than it used to be.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 1: The package  
By: Nanio-713**

Cho Chang considered herself to be an intelligent young woman. She knew that she was a very smart, rational, and logical person when she has to be. In other words: Cho knew that she was a genius. Unfortunately, all genius' have quirks. Cho's quirk was that she allows herself to be ruled by her emotions. Cho could do anything she wanted quickly and efficiently when she keeps her head, but when her emotions get involved things become messy.

It was because of this that events went so horribly with her last boyfriend, Harry Potter. She began to think about Harry in the summer after the Triwizard tournament. Cedric had died, and Harry was there to witness it. She and Cedric never progressed very far in their relationship – there was a lot of snogging and a little groping, but nothing else – but she still felt very strongly for him. She saw the look of pain in Harry's eyes at the end-of-the-year feast and wanted to see if they could help each other through it. That's when she decided that she would attempt to talk to Harry. The only problems she had to worry about then was keeping her emotions in check, and ignoring the fact that she liked Harry.

She had tried to hold her feelings for Harry in check during the year, but it became harder as time passed. By the time she was able to even start talking to him about Cedric, her emotions overreacted and she kissed him. On their date, her emotions started overreacting when Harry said he had to meet Hermione, and when that mixed with her need to talk about Cedric, it caused the huge row that signaled the end of their relationship. Then, all it took was Marietta's squealing to Umbridge to ensure their breakup.

She knew that she treated Harry horribly. She meant to get to know him before talking about Cedric, but she jumped straight into the relationship and it ruined everything. By the time her logic overrode her emotions it was too late; she had already broken up with Harry. Now, she was at least hoping to fix some of the damage that she caused within the last year.

This is why Cho was sitting at her desk wrapping a small package and tying it with string. She wrote a small note on a piece of parchment, attached it to the package, then tied the package to a Manus Masked Owl, who was cleaning his light grey feathers as his master tied the package to his leg. "There you go, Gandalf." Cho said, "Take this to Harry."

Gandalf turned his head at his master, and then took off out of the window when she waved her hand to signal that he should leave. Having completed that task, she then began reorganizing her room when her mother walked into a room.

"Cho, Marietta just floo'd to say that she'll be here shortly." She said, watching her daughter for a moment. Cho gave a quick "thank you" while walking around her room and straightening things out before her mother spoke again. "Cho, are you alright? You've been a bit distant these past few days? Are you thinking about Cedric again? Do you want to talk about it?"

Cho stopped what she was doing to look at her mother. "No mum, it's alright. I'm fine; I've just been distracted recently. You know, what with my 7th year coming up and my internship at the Runic Research Facility. I'm just tired. I don't mean to worry you."

"It's alright, sweetie. Your father and I will be shopping most of today, so you and Marietta will be alone until past dinner. If you get hungry just let the house elves know so they can whip something up."

"I will, mum." Cho replied as she walked up to her mother and gave her a quick hug. As her mother walked out of the room, Cho walked over to the mirror to make sure that she looked okay. Her hair was perfectly groomed (a result that takes nearly a half-hour everyday alone) and held in a loose ponytail that reached as far as her lower back and two loose strands framing her almond shaped face. She straightened out her blue jumper and black jeans, checking for any stains or lint. Seeing that everything was satisfactory, she put on some trainers and walked downstairs.

As she reached her living room, she heard a small chime followed by a burst in the fire, followed by a young girl stepping daintily out of the fireplace. Cho saw her friend Marietta smooth her hand over her curly, reddish brown hair and wipe any loose soot off of her blue jeans and red blouse. Cho was glad to notice that her face no longer had the large boils on her face that said "SNEAK" as she walked over to give her friend a hug.

"Hey Marietta," Cho began, "its good to see you. I see they finally managed to get those boils off your face."

"I wish," the girl responded, "The Healers at St. Mungo's barely discovered what the spell was that did this to me. They're looking for a cure as we speak, although they've admitted that I'm not a 'High priority' since I'm not dying or anything. I expect it will be at least another month before I'm cured. The only reason I look normal is because of a glamour charm."

"Let's talk about this upstairs," Cho said. As the two went upstairs and into Cho's room she turned and asked, "So are you going to keep that charm up at school?"

"I doubt it," Marietta grumbled as she began to pace, "If anything gets too close to my face the charm breaks, and I think the school has some sort of ward to remove glamour charms. Remember when I tried to use one on my face and it broke after ten minutes?"

Cho sat down on her bed and watched her friend pace. "Yeah, I remember. Who cast the glamour charm on you for the summer?"

"Oh, that was my dad. I had to practically beg him to take me to St. Mungo's, After all, 'going there isn't free, and you should be glad the spell wasn't as bad as it could've been.' I swear, you'd think that he would side with me, but no!" Marietta cried mockingly.

Cho chuckled, "He's just upset that you signed a contract without thinking about the consequences."

"And whose fault is _that_?"

"Hey, I didn't twist your arm." Attempting to prevent her friend from becoming angry, Cho changed the topic quickly. "Anyway, these boils may cause some problems with your social life if they can't be removed soon. How are you going to handle that?"

"I don't know," the girl sighed as she sat down on Cho's bed as well, "I guess this may be a lonely beginning for me. At least you have a boyfriend. How is Michael, anyway?"

Cho groaned loudly, "Don't talk about him. I broke up with him two days ago."

"What?" Marietta cried, "We've only been on break for two weeks and you already broke up with him! What happened?"

Cho paused for a moment, then began by saying, "Well, if you must know I didn't appreciate the way he was always trying to feel me up. After one particularly bad day where he put his hands in one too many inappropriate places, I let his privates know physically that I didn't like being groped."

Marietta smirked, "Ouch, I guess that Weasley girl must've given him the impression that most girls are willing to go that far so quickly."

"No, she didn't." Cho replied, "Whenever I pushed him off, he usually stated that I was 'almost as prudish as Ginny.' He obviously didn't realize that it was a bad idea to bring up his ex-girlfriend."

Cho spent the next hour in this manner: joking, teasing, gossiping, and just playful banter. It was when Marietta began speaking about her mother's job that Cho noticed her owl, Gandalf, flying back into her room with the package she sent with him still attached. _Oh no, he must not have wanted it._

"Mum's job seems so boring," Marietta said, laying back on Cho's bed and not noticing the Masked Owl. "I mean, besides Floo jams and the monitoring she did at Hogwarts last year, she doesn't do much with the Floo network. Its all just adding and taking off houses, then making sure people don't run into each other."

Cho didn't respond as she stood up to see her Owl. After looking over Gandalf she realized that the package and note were untouched, which meant that Harry never got them. _That doesn't make sense! The only way Gandalf couldn't find someone is if there are powerful wards preventing it! How is it possible that…_ Cho lost that train of thought as she saw a Snowy Owl fly in and land next to hers. It looked at Cho imperiously (if such a thing could be done with Owls) before hooting and sticking out its leg.

"Will you be able to take this letter to where I want it to go?" Cho asked, feeling silly about talking to an Owl. She looked at the Owl for a moment before realizing something, "You belong to him, don't you?"

The Snowy turned its head and hooted in what seemed to be a positive manner. Cho wasted no time in switching the letter to the Snowy owl and asking, "Would you be able to show Gandalf where you're going?"

The Snowy and the Manus both turned to each other and regarded each other for a moment before both hooted in (what Cho thought was) agreement. She took off the note on her package and added a little more to it before putting it back on the package, allowing both Owls to fly back out of the window.

Cho turned around to see her friend watching her suspiciously. "What was that? Were you sending a package to someone?" Cho nodded, then Marietta continued with, "They must be in a well defended place if your owl couldn't get to him. Who were you sending that package to?"

Cho raised her chin slightly before replying, "Don't worry about it. It's my business and mine alone."

"Don't pull that tripe with me, missy." Marietta replied, "I'm not your mum, so you can't try to throw me off like that. Whose owl was that? It looked familiar, so it must be someone from school."

Cho stuck her tongue at Marietta, "Don't worry about it."

"Cho, I'm going to get this out of you. You'll tell me eventually."

"Well, let's see if your interrogation skills are up to the test."

_**Change Scene**_

Harry Potter walked into Grimmauld Place feeling terribly depressed. He walked through the front door, shaking his soaking wet cloak, and stepped into the living room. As he hung his coat he noticed that all of the dark and gloomy furniture that once inhabited the area was replaced by more modern pieces. He sat down on the couch while his guard, Tonks, walked into the kitchen to announce their arrival to whatever Order member was there. _This is where I saw Kreacher. This is where… No! Sirius is gone, and nothing I say or do will change that. What's done is done…_Harry shook off his thoughts as he laid back and thought about his predicament.

Harry was back in Grimmauld place in record time. Two weeks, to be exact. He was picked up by Dumbledore and Tonks since the Headmaster finally realized that placing Harry in Pivet Drive was a very bad idea. Then, the three of them went to convince a short, pudgy man named Slughorn into working at Hogwarts. _That man was creepy. I hope he's going to be a good professor. After all, he'll need to be in order to survive the Defense against the Dark Arts curse. _Finally, Dumbledore dropped Harry and Tonks off at Grimmauld place while he went back to Hogwarts and begin preparations for the next school year.

As Harry shuffled through his thoughts, he saw Tonks walk back into the living room and remove her trench coat. She wore a tight orange shirt with a dragon emblazed on the front, a pair of pants that Harry _knew_ she must have morphed into, and a pair of black steel toed boots. Tonks sat down next to Harry and said, "Alright, Moody knows we're here and has cleared off." She looked at Harry and saw that he was deep in thought. "Harry, are you alright? Do we need to have another grief talk?"

Harry almost began laughing at this comment. Tonks' first "grief talk" was on the day after Harry returned to Pivet Drive. Tonks and Lupin showed up at night (via the window) with a couple of bottles of Firewhiskey, and the three began speaking about Sirius. The three then proceeded to get smashed while they discussed how Sirius' death was Voldemort's, and not Harry's, fault. Tonks then attempted to teach Harry how to dance, but her clumsiness and his inexperience caused the two to become a jumbled heap on the floor. Harry grinned at Tonks. "I don't know if I can handle that much Firewhiskey again without you trying to teach me to dance."

Tonks buried her face in her hands, "Uhh, you're not going to Let me forget that, are you? I was drunk! Everyone's equilibrium is thrown off when they drink."

"Yeah, but not everyone gropes their charge while trying to get up." At Tonks' shocked face, Harry began to laugh and say, "What, you didn't expect me to believe it was an accident, did you?"

A smile crept upon Tonks face, "Well, I had to find out whether or not those muscles of yours were real." As Harry began to blush lightly, Tonks chuckled and stood up. "Come on, Harry. Let's get you unpacked."

Tonks levitated Harry's trunk as Harry grabbed Hedwig's empty cage. As they walked to Harry's room, he wondered if the Black family ever made a portrait of Sirius. It didn't really matter; it wouldn't bring him back. Harry walked by the elf heads when his face lost all expression. "Tonks, what happened to Kreacher? I haven't seen him yet."

Tonks smiled before responding. "He's no longer around. Lupin chased him around the house and ended up locking him in with Buckbeak. Oh! Before I forget, don't call Buckbeak a 'disturbing, ugly beast.' Apparently, it offends him."

Harry began to laugh as the two reached the Master bedroom. "This is your room now, Harry, since Sirius left everything to you."

The two entered the room and Tonks placed Harry's trunk at the foot of the huge King size, four poster bed. Harry looked around and saw a dresser and a wardrobe on the left of his bed, and a single desk on the right side with parchment and ink sitting on top There was an open window right in front of it. Next to the door, there was a small table and two chairs. Harry placed the cage on the table and proceeded to sit down in a chair.

He wondered if the Weasley's were going to visit him or not. He wouldn't blame them if they stayed away; Grimmauld Place was a very depressing place, after all. Harry wouldn't even want to come here if it wasn't for the fact that it was the safest place the Order of the Phoenix had. Tonks sat next to Harry and disrupted his musings. "Knut for your thoughts?"

"No need," Harry quipped, "Dumbledore and Voldemort take them for free. I was just wondering if I'm going to see the Weasley's, and if it's still safe here now that Sirius is gone and Narcissa knows we're here."

"Well, we're only going to be here until Dumbledore gets the new Headquarters ready. The Weasley's will be here with you until the new HQ is up, and then we're all moving there. I don't know where the new one is located, but it should be ready in a couple of weeks. Also, you shouldn't joke about your thoughts."

"It's true," Harry replied, "Both used to break into my mind all the time. Snape did too. It's a good thing you've been teaching me Occlumency."

"We couldn't leave you open for exposure. I'm just surprised that you caught on so quickly." She paused, "Wait, no I'm not. They teach basic shields the first week of training. Anyway, I'm amazed your shield is so strong now."

"You yourself said that its all about willpower and we both know that I can be downright mule-headed."

Tonks laughed. "Yes you can, Harry. Anyway, I think it's high time that we move on to Legilimency."

"How about we start tomorrow? Dumbledore told me that you were going to be my guard until my Birthday, and there's no time like the present, right?"

"Sure, we'll start tomorrow. Now let's go downstairs and eat, all of this traveling and serious conversation has made me hungry."

Tonks and Harry headed downstairs and prepared a wonderful dinner. They spoke of the Wizarding world, and Tonks began to fill Harry in on the latest Wizard trends, bands, and Quidditch matches. Harry in turn told Tonks about some fashions and bands that were popular in Muggle London. As their dinner was ending Tonks said, "So I hear you're dating some cute Asian girl at Hogwarts? How's that going, Harry?"

Harry's face fell slightly and said, "You're a little behind, Tonks. Cho and I have broken up. You know: boy sees girl he likes, they kiss, girl begins crying because of her dead boyfriend, and then breaks up with boy because girl thinks that he fancies one of his other friends."

Tonks winced, "Ouch! Sorry I brought it up, mate. Who did she think you fancied?"

"Hermione. Anyway, enough of my horrible love life. What about yours? Have you hooked up with Lupin yet?"

"Harry, stop trying to push that one. I tried that already; Lupin's been dating some squib girl who decided its fun to date a guy who can literally become an animal for the past month without telling anyone."

"I'm sorry I tried pushing that one, then."

"It's alright. Actually, I'm going out next week with a guy from the Department of Magical Creature. He's from Dublin, and his name is Alexander. He seems like a really nice guy."

"Meaning that he hasn't asked you to customize your transformations?"

"Hey, you don't pick on my love life and I won't pick on yours."

"Alright, alright, I won't push your buttons. So, where are you going? I need some ideas for the next girl I decide to date."

"I won't be much help then. We're just going to do the old 'dinner and dancing' routine. I think it'll be nice, so long as he doesn't get the wrong idea."

"I hope he won't for your sake." At this point Harry let out a large yawn. "Well, as much as I'd love to keep chatting, I really should get some sleep. You going home, or are you sticking around until someone comes to change shifts?"

"Actually, I'm staying here for the night. I'm on a new assignment the Ministry has set up with Dumbledore where I'm heading Hogwarts security, so I have nothing to do until August. Dumbledore decided to have me stay here with you until then." A roguish smile appeared on her face, "Come on, Harry. Let's go to bed."

Harry blushed slightly as he returned her smile, "As you wish, milady." Harry then proceeded to wrap his arm tightly around Tonks' waist and led her up the stairs. Tonks began blushing brightly when Harry started laughing uproariously. "I love teasing you Tonks. Just think; I would've never gotten this comfortable with girls if it wasn't for you."

Tonks laughed as Harry loosened, but didn't release, his grip on her. "Oh I'm going to get you for that Harry, just you wait."

Tonks reached her room (which was just before Harry's) and gave him a hug before entering. Harry made his way into his own room and noticed that Hedwig and another owl were in his room. Hedwig had a parchment on his leg, while the other owl didn't. Harry untied the package from Hedwig's leg. Harry quickly picked up the note on it and read:

_Dear Harry,_

_Please don't trash this until you've seen the package. I know you have no reason to, but I hope you can trust me with this._

_Cho Chang_

_PS: My Manus Screech Owl, Gandalf, couldn't get past your wards. Luckily, your Snowy Owl arrived to take this package._

Harry looked at Hedwig and said, "So that's where you've been. I've been worried about you, you know? I thought you might've gotten hurt or something, disappearing like that." Hedwig flew onto Harry's shoulder and nipped his ear apologetically. "It's okay Hedwig, I forgive you." Harry sat down and opened the package with Hedwig still on his shoulder. He opened the wrapper to find… a rather large book. He opened it to a random page and noticed that it was blank. He flipped to the first page and noticed a note. It read:

_Dear Harry,_

_I know that we didn't leave on very good terms when we last saw each other, and for that I'm sorry. I did not mean to treat you so horribly this past year. First, I kept crying and bringing up Cedric to you, which was unfair. Then, I broke up with you and went out with Michael Corner (who I recently broke up with, by the way). You did not deserve it. Hopefully, you can find the kindness in your heart to forgive me. If so, please keep this journal. It is magically linked to a journal that I have, and anything you write will appear in my journal. If you wish to speak to me again, merely write it in here, and I will know. If not, then let me know that you don't wish to write to me, and I'll send Gandalf to retrieve this journal from you and will leave you alone._

_I know that it will not be easy to forgive me due to all that's happened between us, but all I ask is that you try. All I want to be is your friend for now, and hopefully we can grow back into something more._

_Sincerely,_

_Cho Chang_

Harry sat there for a moment and wondered about whether or not he should write back. _She _was _straightforward in her apology, but should I forgive her? Can we go back to being something more?_ Realizing he wasn't going to answer that this night, he stroked the screech owl's feathers and said, "Gandalf my friend, I'm going to keep this book for a while. You can go back to Cho now." The owl nodded once and flew out of Harry's window. Harry moved Hedwig to her cage, placed the journal on his desk, and lay down in the large bed mentally debating about what he should do about Cho's letter.


	2. Learning new things

**Disclaimer:** The plot and OC's are mine, but Harry Potter and all characters from Cannon are property of JK Rowling.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 2: Learning New Things  
By: Nanio-713  
**

The next morning, Harry received his first lesson in Legilimency from Tonks after breakfast. Harry and Tonks sat across from each other at the kitchen table wearing muggle clothing, the dishes already washed and put away. Tonks was sitting straight in her chair, her playful demeanor replaced with an aura of authority. "Harry, I have already taught you Occlumency, and you're very good at protecting your mind. Now, I am going to take you one step further and teach you how to enter the minds of others. Occlumency requires concentration, control over your emotions, good mental stamina, and willpower. Legilimency requires these traits, as well as the ability to multitask, shift through information quickly, and a small amount of acting ability." A smile flickered on Tonks' face, "After all, you don't want everyone to know what you're doing."

Tonks' voice dropped significantly as she began to whisper, "The first thing you have to do is empty your mind and bring up your Occlumency shields. Empty your mind completely, envision your Occlumency walls, and float through the dark abyss of your mind. Then, I want you to sink deeper into your mind until you notice something there that isn't thoughts. They'll feel a bit like weights when you first sense them. I want you to mentally grab those and bring them to the surface of your mind."

Harry nodded to Tonks and began to meditate. He felt as if he were sinking, closing his eyes and allowing the darkness to swallow him. He floated in his mind, feeling more and more isolated, and cut off from the world. He noticed thoughts as they were forming and dissipating due to his current mental state, and allowed himself to be lost in the feeling of tranquility that consumed him. After indeterminable amount of time, Harry noticed something. He noticed a small amount of … bumps, he chose to describe them as. He imagined a miniature version of himself in his head, which he imagined picking up these bumps. True to Tonks' description, they felt heavy to his mind, although he thought of them more as anchors than weights since he sensed that they were connected to something in his mind. He took a hold of the three 'weights' in his head and moved his conscious mind out of the trance he was in. He opened his eyes and saw Tonks smiling. "Hood, Harry. You have found your mind probes. Now, while maintaining your Occlumency shield, I want you to take one probe and send it to me. Try to make it connect to my head."

Harry nodded, then took one of the probes and began to mentally send one towards Tonks. The best that Harry could describe the feeling as was like holding up a rock with a levitation spell, or like the feeling of flying a kite. He watched Tonks as the probe floated to her head and as it entered, it felt like Harry's connection to the probe became cooler. _Good Job, Harry_. Harry heard Tonks' voice in his ears. _You are now on the surface of my mind. You can hear and see every conscious thought that I am having now. If you push the probe deeper, you would see my unconscious thoughts. Push deeper still and you'll begin to see my memories. As you already know what that sensation feels like we can skip that particular tutorial. Now, I want you to break my mental barriers and forcefully enter my mind._

Suddenly, Harry felt a spark flow through the probe and it quickly flew away from Tonks and back into Harry's head. The probe re-entered Harry's mind so forcefully that he almost dropped his mental barriers when a large headache suddenly hit Harry. As Harry got over the pain and focused his mind once again, he sent his probe back towards Tonks. Just before the probe touched her head, Harry suddenly felt his probe run into some sort of fleshy barrier. Harry tried to break through it, but while it bent slightly it refused to break. Harry pushed Harder and Harder with his mind, trying to break through Tonks' barrier, but the barrier refused to break. He looked at Tonks' expression as he tried to force his way into her mind and saw that she was smirking at him. This annoyed Harry as he smiled back and put more force into his probe. They both sat for a while, watching each other as they dueled mentally. Suddenly, Harry had an idea. While focusing most of his energy on the first probe, he sent another probe to try and enter another part of her head. He lanced quickly with the second probe and felt it begin to break through her barriers, but suddenly both probes were pushed back violently and they re-entered Harry's brain. This time the force of the probes hit twice as hard causing his mental shields to break and a large headache suddenly flood through his brain, causing Harry to almost fall out of his chair while clutching his head.

Tonks smiled brightly as she said, "Good job, Harry. I didn't know you were able to hold more than one probe already. You must be better at Occlumency than I thought. That's great news! If you progress as well as I think you will, you should be a pro at this by your birthday. After all, mental strength grows much more quickly than physical strength if you practice everyday. Also, try not to send out more than one probe at a time for now. The more probes you send, the weaker each individual probe will be. The strongest probe is one that goes out alone."

Harry glared darkly at Tonks' cherry face as he cleared his headache using Occlumency exercises. It took a little while for the headache to dissipate, and as soon as it did Tonks pulled a Rubik's cube out of her robes and announced, "Alright, we're going to do it again. This time, I don't want you to stare straight at me. It makes it too obvious that you're using Legilimency."

Harry grabbed the cube and asked, "I thought you needed eye contact to use Legilimency. You do, don't you?"

Tonks replied with, "You need eye contact to connect to the other person's head. Once it connects you can look wherever you want as you enter or battle someone's mind, although continuing to look into someone's eyes adds a little extra power to it. But I'm teaching you how to be discrete, not how to properly mind rape someone like Snape."

Harry began again by looking into Tonks' eyes long enough to connect to her mind. He then began absentmindedly solving the Rubik's cube as he and Tonks fought using their minds. Tonks casually talked about her days as an Auror as the battle continued, and occasionally warned Harry when it looked like he was focusing too much on Legilimency. After the third comment he stopped trying to solve the cube, looked at Tonks (adding a little power to his Legilimency), and said, "Hey, it's really hard to do both, alright! These cubes are frustrating enough even when I'm not trying to break into your head!"

Tonks broke Harry's probe abruptly and snarled, "That's the fucking point! You want to run in the big league with Dumbledore and Voldemort? Then the _least_ you should be able to do is fight me while looking like you are not doing anything!"

Harry stared at Tonks as he recovered from his new headache and said, "Sorry Tonks, it's just that this training is bloody fucking hard. It is really straining my mind."

Tonks smirked at him and said, "I know, Harry. I was a right old bitch when I was doing this same thing. I think I insulted four people and broke three vases on the test day, although the vases had more to do with my clumsiness than anything else. Now come on, we're going to do this until lunchtime everyday, and its only 11:00."

They spent the next hour with Harry attempting to break Tonks' shield three times, followed by one more where Tonks blocked Harry's attack while trying to break into his mind as well. That one was particularly trying for Harry, and left him with a small migraine that continued to bug him until shortly after Tonks finished making them sandwiches and pouring them both butterbeer. "You know Harry," Tonks commented between bites of food, "You're pretty good for a beginner. It took me two days to get where you got now. If things go well, I may have to raise my shields from their lowest settings tomorrow."

Harry spit a bit of butterbeer back into his cup, "You mean I was battling you at your weakest!?"

"Of course," Tonks stated, "as an Auror I need to have strong shields. Mind protection, which means Occlumency and Legilimency, was my second best skill in the Academy right behind disguise. Don't worry though; you'll be rivaling me by the time I'm through with you."

"That's if my head doesn't explode from the pain of having those probes rocketed back to me." Harry mumbled.

"Don't worry about that, Harry. When you get better you'll be able to slow down, or even stop, the probe before it gets back to you. You won't even feel it after a few days, if we train right. That's why you don't see order members or Death eaters falling over in pain at odd times."

Harry shook his head and resumed eating. After finishing lunch Harry began putting the dishes into the sink when he heard a roar of fire from the next room, followed by several voices. Shortly afterward Ron, Ginny, Lupin, and Mrs. Weasley walked into the room and greeted the two occupants. As Harry was being hugged by Mrs. Weasley she exclaimed, "It's so good to see you doing so well, Harry! Arthur and I have been worried sick about you. I hope you've been handling things well…" She felt Harry tense slightly, "Anyway I'm just happy to see you looking healthy. Now run along with Ron and Ginny while I prepare lunch and speak with these two so-called adults."

Harry was released by Mrs. Weasley before he responded. "Don't worry about me and lunch, Mrs. Weasley. Tonks and I have already had sandwiches"

"Oh pish, Harry. Sandwiches never fill anyone up properly. Now run along while I make a nice soup."

Knowing that arguing with Mrs. Weasley would be useless, Harry just shrugged and left the kitchen with Ginny and Ron. As the three went upstairs, Harry took them to his new room and told them about how he inherited the house from Sirius. After a tense moment of silence at Sirius' name, Harry suggested a game of exploding snap. The three Gryffindors soon found themselves surrounding the small table in Harry's room (Harry used the chair from his desk) playing a nice game of Hearts. "So how has you're summer been, Harry?"

Harry began dealing the cards and said, "It's been interesting. I've spent a lot of time with Remus and Tonks since I left school. Dumbledore's been having Tonks teach me Occlumency, as well as helping me and Remus grieve over the death of Sirius. Of course, we've been helping her with that as well."

"Why would she be seriously grieving over Sirius?" Ron asked, "I mean I know they were related and all, but they didn't know each other that well, right?"

"Ron," Ginny sighed, "Sirius is the only family outside of her parents who have accepted her. Of course it's going to affect her."

Harry didn't want to continue talking about Sirius so he changed the topic, "So how have you two been? Been keeping in contact with anyone with Hogwarts?" Harry raised his eyebrows at Ginny.

She smirked and said, "Dean and I have been writing each other, but we haven't said much so far considering that it's only been two weeks since summer's started. Ron and I have both been writing to Hermione, too."

"Really?" Harry asked. "She hasn't been responding to my letters."

"Actually," Ron said as he pulled a letter out of his robes, "She told me to give you this as soon as I see you."

Harry took the letter, opened it, and began to read the letter aloud.

_Dear Harry,_

_Thank you for the letter's you've sent. I'm glad you've been talking to someone about Sirius and grieving properly, and I hope you feel better soon. I would have written to you sooner, but I've been vacationing in Rome with my parents. We recently visited Vatican City, and I got in contact with the magical community here. These Roman wizards are so much nicer to Muggle-born's than in Great Britain, and I've been visiting many Libraries and bookstores. My parent's are enjoying the Wizarding community here much more than in London._

_I've also found a lot of great light spells and curses to use against Voldemort, and we can teach them to the DA if you decide to continue it. I've also learned a lot about the city's history, and how the community here works very closely with the Roman church since the end of the Spanish Inquisition, although the church still publicly condemns witchcraft in the Muggle world._

_Anyway, my family and I are going to get a tour – both Muggle and magical – of the Roman Coliseum tomorrow, then we're traveling to Venice until the end of the month, when we're returning to London for your birthday._

_Love always,_

_Hermione_

Harry looked at Ginny and Harry for a second before a mischievous thought popped into his head. He schooled his face into a confused look, then said as if he was reading it off of the paper, "PS: I was hoping to tell you this earlier and in person, but I can't wait any longer. I like you as more than a friend Harry, and was wondering-"

Harry did not finish this statement since Ron and Ginny both screamed, "WHAT!?" and began attempting to take the letter away from Harry. What followed was a short wrestling match between the three, which quickly became a tickling war that – surprisingly enough – Ginny won. The three ended up collapsing on various parts of Harry's bed with Ginny scanning the paper for Hermione's supposed declaration of love. Finding nothing Ginny exclaimed, "Morganna, Harry! Don't do that again, you nearly gave us a heart attack!"

Harry smirked, "I thought you were over me? Won't Dean get jealous if he finds out you're still pining over me? And what will your parents think?"

Ginny giggled, "Oh, get over yourself. I'm just saying that you shouldn't joke about stuff like that. Ron might lose the nerve to admit to her that he likes her if you keep that up."

Ron spluttered, "What are you talking about?"

Before anyone could respond, they heard Mrs. Weasley scream, "Lunch is ready," and they quickly made their way to the kitchen. The trio sat down at the table with the adults and served themselves bowls of soup. As they ate Ginny told her mum about Hermione's letter. When she finished telling the part about Harry's joke he jumped in with, "Speaking of love; How is that girl I heard you were going out with, Remus? I can't remember her name, but she's a squib right?"

Lupin looked shocked for a moment before glaring at Harry and Tonks. Mrs. Weasley's eyebrows rose and her two children leaned closer to hear his explanation. "Well Harry, her name is Alice and she's doing very well. She's very happy right now since she just got a job teaching young Witches and Wizards at the primary school in Hogsmeade."

Mrs. Weasley seemed very interested in Lupin's girlfriend, and spent several more minutes asking about her. Harry and Tonks shared conspiratorial looks as Lupin blushed and answered the Weasley Matron's questions as briefly as possible. Eventually he was able to find a suitable excuse to leave the kitchen table, and quickly grabbed Tonks and Harry in order to drag them into the living room. Once there, Lupin released them and began to shout, "Harry, how dare you announce my private life in front of everyone? That was very inappropriate and rude! And Tonks, why did you tell Harry? Can I tell you nothing in confidence!?"

Harry and Tonks' faces darkened at this, and Harry began by saying, "Hey, we promised each other that we weren't going to keep secrets from each other regardless of what it was. I told you both about Cho, and Tonks told us all about the losers that she's dated, including that McLeay guy she recently broke up with. When were you going to tell me about Alice, huh? I asked Tonks about who the two of you were seeing and she told me that you were dating this Alice woman. She told me the truth, unlike you, because she promised to! Don't get mad at people for breaking confidences, especially when you have broken your own!"

Harry and Lupin stared each other down until they both seemed to deflate. They sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace. Tonks quickly sat down next to Harry as Lupin rubbed his temples. "You're right, Harry. Still, it gives you no right to call me out in front of everyone."

Tonks snorted, "I would have done it if Harry hadn't beaten me to it. You should have told us about her sooner. That's why I told Harry about Alice after telling him about Alex."

Harry looked at Tonks questioningly before continuing. "Well let's move on, shall we? There's something I want both of your opinions on." Harry then proceeded to tell Lupin and Tonks about the journal and the message in it he received from Cho. "I've been debating about whether or not I should forgive her, or even if I should write to her at all."

Lupin and Tonks both sat back on the couch and pondered Harry's predicament. After a while Remus said, "Well, it can't hurt too much to hear what she has to say. You don't necessarily have to forgive her, but you can at least hear her out."

Tonks nodded and stated, "Yeah Harry, just hear her out. If you like what you hear then keep talking to her. If not, then just return the journal."

Harry thought about it for a moment before saying, "You're right, I'll just let her know how I feel. Then, I'll let her know that I'm willing to listen."

* * *

It was later that night that Harry was willing to write back to Cho. He sat at his desk in his night clothes, wondering what to write. He then decided to write exactly what he was thinking.

_Dear Cho,_

_I don't know if I can immediately forgive you for what happened over the course of the last year. Of course, I should also be apologizing for the way I treated you: I shouldn't have told you that I was going to see Hermione without further explanation, and my tactics on consoling you over the loss of Cedric were horrible. Regardless, the accusations you sent my way, as well as the actions of your friend Marietta, did hurt me. I'm willing to hear what you have to say, but I am reserving the right to forgive you for a later time. Please respond at your earliest convenience._

_Best wishes,_

_Harry_

Harry was about to close his journal when a small set of elegant script that Harry recognized as Cho's handwriting appeared under his.

_**Thank you for your consideration. It means a lot to me that you're willing to listen.**_

_Cho, how did you respond so quickly? How did you know that I was writing to you?_

**_The journals can alert you when someone else is writing when they're closed. Just tap the cover and say _denuntio _to activate the charm. Don't worry; you're not actually casting magic so it's not illegal._**

_Thanks for that. So… since you're here, would you like to start telling me about what happened last year?_

_**Well Harry, as I said before I am sorry for constantly pushing Cedric under your nose. It wasn't appropriate for several reasons, the main ones being that he was my ex-boyfriend (after all, you shouldn't compare whoever your dating to a past fling) and that you saw his death. That was quite possibly the worst thing that I could've done to you.**_

_What about our argument over Marietta?_

_**Harry, she did what she did because she didn't have any other choice. She didn't want to get in trouble because I practically forced her to come to the meetings because I wanted to talk to you. She freaked out and decided to admit what she was doing so that her parents, who both work at the Ministry, wouldn't lose their jobs if Fudge found out about her involvement in the club. If anyone has to be blamed over what happened, it should be me.**_

_I don't blame you Cho, but I do think that you should choose your friends a bit more wisely._

_**I'm not asking you to forgive Marietta, but I'm just asking that you not hold it against her. After all, even though she messed up she is still my friend.**_

_Alright I'll leave her alone, but don't expect me to talk to her!_

_**Fine, I never expected you would get along with her anyway. The two of you have very different personalities. By the way: can you at least find out what curse Hermione used on that paper? The Healers at St. Mungo's still can't get the boils off of her face.**_

Harry smirked at this statement. _Well… no I cannot. Regardless of her reasoning, I feel that Marietta deserved what she got, and now has to live with it. I've paid for all of my decisions last year when I actively spoke about how Voldemort was back, and I never asked for help. My hand got slashed up by Umbridge and her damnable quill in detention, and I was looked down upon by most of the students, and I never once complained for help. She'll just have to grin and bear her punishment like I did._

There was a definite period of time before Harry saw Cho's handwriting reappear. **_I never thought about it like that. Thank you for telling me why you won't help her, Harry, and I won't bring it back up. I heard about her quill from some friends who had detention in her class, but I thought they were just rumors._**

Both took a moment to pause before Harry decided what he was going to write. _We've talked about Cedric and Marietta now, which leaves one thing left to ask: Why did you break up with Michael?_

_**Well, let's just say that it was a good thing that you and Ginny's brother never saw Michael when he was alone with Ginny. He has a strange tendency to try and get into a girls pants as quickly as possible and, according to Michael, both Ginny and I have had to make his hands (and privates) know that girls don't like being harassed in a rather… painful… manner.**_

Harry laughed loudly before responding. _Alright, I won't bring him up again. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't just because of me._

_**Don't worry about that Harry. I know you probably wouldn't consent to becoming my boyfriend again so quickly, but we can still be friends right now, right?**_

_Of course we're friends, and I do think that we shouldn't jump back into a relationship so quickly._

_**Alright then, I can accept just having your friendship. I'm a bit tired now so I'm going to bed now, Harry.**_

_Alright then… oh and by the way, Cho, I need to tell you something before you go to sleep._

_**Yes?**_

_I forgive you._


	3. The Date

**Disclaimer:** A long, long time ago there was a woman with the initials JKR who created a story called Harry Potter… proving that my statement that, once again, Harry potter is not mine is correct. However, all OC's and the plot are mine.

**A/N**: I am working under the assumption that Harry reached Grimmauld place a Monday in the third week of July. In 1996, this would be the 15th. Chapter 2 took place on the 16th. For a full listing of the dates after that, check the HP Lexicon or a 1996 calendar for dates in my story.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 3: A Date  
By: Nanio-713**

The rest of the week passed smoothly for Harry. In the morning he would study Legilimency with Tonks, talk and play games with Ginny and Ron in the afternoon, then spend his nights writing to Cho. His Legilimency skills were coming along very well: by Friday his probes were not much stronger but he was able to send them much more furtively, making it almost unnoticeable. Tonks was impressed by this and had him practice by allowing him to use Legilimency on Ron and Ginny during lunch. Harry never went deep into their minds though: he would connect, ask them a question, and then let go once he knew if they were lying. Neither Weasley knew that he did this, although Ginny did complain that she felt as if she was about to get a headache when Harry used Legilimency on her the first time.

Harry was curious, though, as to why he only saw Ginny and Ron in the afternoon. It was soon explained to him that Molly and Ginny were busy helping plan for a wedding between Bill and Fleur (Ginny tended to call her Phlegm), and Ron spent his nights helping keep Bill distracted from the wedding plans. This tended to leave Harry alone a lot but he didn't mind. After all, it did give him a chance to talk to Cho.

Harry and Cho would start talking only after Harry went to bed unless Tonks was tired or decided to go out with some Auror friends. When Tonks left Remus would come over and read silently while Harry wrote to Cho. They started their conversations simply: talking about their friends, discussing whether or not to keep the DA going, Quidditch, Wizarding music (something Tonks was quick to teach Harry about), etc. Slowly, they would move on to more personal topics. First they talked about Cedric, and how his death affected them. This caused both to stop writing for long stretches of time due to the need to cry for different bursts of time. After 2 days they moved on to talking about Cho's past: her parents, how they raised her in a loving (yet slightly distant) environment, how she met Marietta, who her other close friends were, how she started playing Quidditch, etc. However, they seemed to hit a snag on Friday when Cho asked Harry about his past.

_**So Harry, where did you grow up?**_

_What do you mean?_

_**I mean who raised you? Do you have family, or did a godfather or close friend of the family take you in?**_

_Cho…_

_**Oh come on, Harry. There's no need to be shy!**_

_I was… I was raised by my Aunt and Uncle on my mother's side._

_**Really, and what are they like?**_

_(3_ (**A/N:** this represents light scratching, but no actual words)

_**Huh?**_

_Well, they are horrible people. I couldn't stand being raised by them._

_**Why not?**_

_It's not worth mentioning…_

_**Harry, please tell me. You're starting to worry me.**_

… _Umm… I don't really want to talk about it._

_**Please Harry? I told you about me, and I just want to get to know the real you a little better, as opposed to all the trash that's been written about you in the prophet and history books.**_

When Harry read this, he was shocked. It was this line that allowed Harry to trust her enough to talk about his family. _Alright, but I'm warning you now that my story will not be pretty. My aunt and uncle's names are Petunia and Vernon Dursley, and they had a son named Dudley. They all treated me horribly, and made me truly wish that I was never born at times._

_**How did they do that?**_

_They treated me like how a psychotic child would treat an innocent cat. My aunt and uncle were muggles and thought that anything magical was an abomination and should be destroyed. They knew that my parents were Wizards, so they thought of me as some sort of sin against God._

_**I'm sure it wasn't that extreme.**_

_Really? I didn't know my name was Harry until shortly before I started muggle primary school, since all they ever called me before that was "boy" or "freak." They always were complaining about how I was useless, and how I should be grateful that they allowed a worthless piece of trash like me live in their house. They always reminded me that they gave me a roof over my head and clothes on my back (although everything they gave me was secondhand from Dudley), and that all the chores I did were my way of paying them back._

_**What kind of chores did you do?**_

_I mowed the lawns, did the gardening, cleaned the house, prepared the food, washed the dishes… basically, I did pretty much everything a house elf does and more. Of course, when I wasn't doing chores I was running from Dudley and his friends, so there were some times where I was glad for all of the work._

_**Did he do any chores? Why would you have to run from him?**_

_Dudley_ _never did anything around the house except for watch the Muggle Telly and play videogames (another Muggle invention). Outside, all he would do is bully other kids with his friends, and I was their favorite target. I think that one of the main reasons I'm so good at Quidditch is because I'm so good at dodging dangerous objects (i.e. Dudley's fist) and searching for small hiding spots which can amount to the size of a snitch from a distance._

_**Why didn't anyone do anything about this? It sounds to me like you were abused, so why didn't anyone call the authorities?**_

_Who was there to call the authorities, the neighbors? Ha, they thought I was a delinquent because of how the Dursley's dressed me. Also, the Dudley and aunt Petunia spread rumors saying that I was deranged and a liar._

_**You could have called the muggle authorities, couldn't you?**_

_No. I was never allowed near a phone, and I didn't even know if they would help me anyway. After all, the Dursley's did a very good job of isolating me and making me appear to be every inch the delinquent. It doesn't matter anymore. I rarely ever see them unless its summer, and even then I left to visit friends after two weeks, so I rarely see them over then, too._

_**How did you manage to survive under these conditions?**_

_I did accidental magic, mostly. I apparated to the top of a school building to escape being beat up by Dudley once. Any bruises Dudley managed to give me, as well as any Vernon would give me with his belt, healed quickly due to my magic. Although, there was one time where I was knocked into a street sign by Dudley and broke my arm. I had to be taken to a hospital, and Vernon beat me when I got home because he spent so much money getting my arm fixed._

_**Harry…**_

_I warned you that it wasn't going to be pretty. Anyway, most of the abuse stopped on my 11th birthday when Hagrid arrived and told me about the Wizarding world. Once I discovered that I was a wizard, they were too scared to try and hurt me anymore._

_**But you aren't allowed to do magic outside of school!**_

_The Dursley's didn't know that. I always just acted like I was going to cast a spell when they were threatening me to calm them down. That is, until a house elf named Dobby arrived and got me in trouble. He cast a levitation spell in my house and the department of improper use of magic sent a letter to my house, warning me that more magic will get me expelled from school. That was when they began abusing me again until the Weasley's showed them that I had help, and they couldn't get away with the abuse anymore. After that, we've had a "just pretend the other doesn't exist" agreement. It works pretty well, I think._

_**Why didn't you tell anyone in the Wizarding world about your treatment? Surely they would have done something?**_

_I did! I told Dumbledore late in my first year, as well as every year since. All he tells me is that my staying with them is necessary for my safety, and that he can't trust me with a Wizarding family since he doesn't know who is a Death Eater and who is not._

There was a slight lull in the conversation at this point, since neither knew what to say. Harry didn't want to continue talking about the Dursley's, and Cho didn't want to force him to say anymore about them. After a while she wrote, **_you say that all of your clothes were given to you secondhand from the Dursley's?_**

_Yes, they were. Why do you ask?_

_**Well, if you want we can go shopping on Sunday. I know a lot of shops in Diagon Alley and Sun Turn Alley that sell good muggle clothing. We can go get you an entirely new wardrobe!**_

_I've never heard of Sun Turn Alley. What do they sell there?_

_**You've never heard of Sun Turn Alley? It's the street at the end of Diagon Alley on the right-hand side, just past Ollivander's. Sun Turn Alley is where all the shops for young wizards and witches. They have music stores, clothes stores, Quidditch specialty stores, and all sorts of other things.**_

_It sounds like fun. Just let me ask my guardians if I can go, and we'll see what we can do._

* * *

It was the next day at lunch that Harry found the perfect opportunity. Mrs. Weasley visited to make Harry, Tonks, and Lupin lunch, but this time she came without Ron and Ginny. When Harry mentioned this Mrs. Weasley replied, "Oh, those two are busy helping Fleur as she picks out colors and the theme for the wedding. That's a very big decision and Fleur is going to need as much help as she can get."

"How is Ron going to help her?" Tonks asked, "He's a guy and doesn't have good tastes to begin with. Why is he helping them?"

"He's not helping Fleur pick things out." Molly explained, "Ron is at the burrow right now keeping things organized, and making sure that Bill doesn't get too bored since he's the only other Weasley male at the house."

Harry could agree with the statement about keeping Bill company, but he seriously doubted that Ron could keep anything organized if his room was any basis for his abilities. However, he didn't think that saying this would be very helpful and then decided to keep quiet. Shortly after lunch, Mrs. Weasley left to help Fleur with the wedding plans leaving Remus, Tonks, and Harry alone. "So Harry," Lupin began, "how is Legilimency training?"

"Really good," Harry replied, "Tonks says that the only thing we're working on now is strengthening the force of my probe in order to break through Occlumency shields."

Tonks nodded, "Yeah, I was going to teach him how to get past the memory portion of the brain, but decided that it's not worth it."

"Why isn't it worth it?" Harry asked

"Because I don't think you'd ever need to reach anyone's nervous system. Trust me Harry; that's the furthest you can get into someone's mind without technically possessing them. You don't want to know how to get there."

Harry smirked, "How do you get there?"

"You just think about your own memories. It lets the other person's mind realize that you don't want to see their memories and moves you onto the next level." Remus smirked as Tonks glared at him.

"Why did you just tell Harry how to do that, Remus?" Tonks demanded.

"I did it because he asked." Remus said before running around the table once Tonks started chasing him.

Harry watched as his two friends ran around the kitchen for about five minutes before Tonks decided that Lupin wasn't worth it. As the two adults calmed down Harry asked, "Moony, Tonks, I need a favor."

Both looked at Harry curiously; it was rare that Harry ever called Lupin by his nickname unless it was for prank advice. Remus was the one courageous enough to ask, "What do you need, Harry?"

"I want to go shopping in Diagon and Sun Turn Alley tomorrow, and was wondering if you could take me."

Remus and Tonks both looked at Harry quizzically for a moment. Tonks then asked, "I don't know, Harry. I'm not going to be around, and Dumbledore told us both that you were not to leave this house for any reason. It's really dangerous right now, what with Voldemort being openly exposed and the war under full swing right now."

"I know that," Harry began, "but can you make an exception just this once? Tonks, you know a lot of Glamour charms since you're so good at transfiguration. You could just change my hair and eye color and hide my scar."

"Yes," Tonks agreed, "but Glamour charms break easily. They're not going to help you if someone bumps into you and breaks them."

"Then I'll go in a hat and sunglasses, you know, I'll use muggle style disguises. Most witches and wizards don't even bat their eyelashes when they see someone hiding their face anymore so they won't even notice me."

"That very same reason is why Death Eaters are so good at getting around!" Lupin retorted.

"So am I just going to be held prisoner in this house now because of it! Are we going to allow Voldemort to scare us so much that we won't even leave the house anymore! What would Sirius say if he heard you telling me that I couldn't leave Grimmauld place?"

Both Lupin and Tonks flinched at the Dark Lord's name, then at Harry's question. Remus responded, "That's a low blow, Harry, using Sirius' memory like that! Besides, what's so important at Diagon Alley that you want to go there?"

"And how did you hear about Sun Turn Alley?" Tonks added, "I've never told you about it, and you've never been there before."

Harry looked at Tonks and Lupin for a moment, before he thought of Cho and his Journal. Realization quickly hit both of their faces and Tonks cried, "You mean to tell me we're having this argument because you want to go on a date?!"

"I told her about the Dursley's yesterday and she invited me to go with her to go shopping tomorrow." He quickly replaced his mental shields before the other two could catch his next statement, "Cho was going to Diagon Alley anyway, and I just want to make sure that she's okay when she goes."

He looked at his guardians and found that neither was trying to check his mind and see if he was lying. Lupin spoke, "Well, I guess that doing this won't kill anyone if we make a few emergency Portkeys, and if we use that approach we won't need to disguise you. But, you have to promise me that you'll stay within my eyesight the entire time, and not try to sneak off with Cho."

"I promise you that I won't do anything like that, Moony." Harry smiled.

Lupin groaned as he watched Harry run upstairs to write to Cho, "Dumbledore will burn me alive if he discovers that I'm taking Harry to Diagon Alley tomorrow."

* * *

Cho stood by the bar in the Leaky Cauldron, looking around the room as she searched for Harry. She smoothed the front of her sky blue robes, checking to make sure they were not dirty, and wondered yet again if her outfit was appropriate for their date. _Or whatever this is supposed to be_, she thought, _we never actually labeled this as a date or not_. She looked down and inspected her clothes again. She was wearing a light blue dress shirt that matched her robes with a pair of khaki pants that flattered her slim figure. She was also wearing a pair of white trainers and had her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. As she was internally debating whether or not her clothes were appropriate she did not notice the short, raven haired boy and shabby looking man enter the bar.

Harry walked up to Cho and realized that she was far too absorbed in her mind to notice him, and used it to his advantage. He stealthily maneuvered his way next to her and softly said, "I though I taught you to be more aware of your surroundings, Cho."

She jumped away from the bar with a loud squeak and swung her wand around to find it pointing at none other than Harry Potter. She took a moment to see that he was dressed in very formal black robes before yelling, "Damn it Harry, why did you sneak up on me like that?"

Harry began to laugh as he opened his robes, revealing that he was wearing a very nice dark blue button down shirt with elegant gold Griffin cufflinks, a pair of grey slacks, and black boots made of what appeared to be dragon-hide. "Well, I had to make a point. I thought that I taught you to pay better attention to your surroundings in the DA. I guess I must have failed." He finished with a small smirk on his face.

Cho blushed prettily before saying, "I was just thinking about something and I usually like to focus on whatever is on my mind." Cho paused to look at Harry for a moment before saying, "I thought you told me you had no nice clothes. Where'd you get this?"

"Well, I recently had to attend a funeral for my Godfather, and Remus here," Harry nodded towards Lupin, "took me to buy some nice clothes. I only got two outfits at the time." Harry paused for a moment, "You're looking lovely today, Cho. It's good to see that I didn't overdress for the occasion."

"Oh," Cho responded lamely as her blush deepened. "Well, let's get going to Gringotts, shall we? My mother would like me to be back home in less than 6 hours."

Harry nodded in agreement and he, Cho, and Lupin made their way to Diagon alley. The walked in silence as they made their way through the surprisingly small crowd and into the Wizard Bank. Cho made her way quickly to the Teller and presented her key, then Harry did the same. However, when the Goblin's saw Harry's Key they said, "Oh Mr. Potter! We've been waiting quite some time for you to arrive. Please come this way and we will have a private room set up for you."

Slightly confused, the group followed the portly goblin through a side door, down a small series of walkways, and into a nicely furnished meeting room with a table large enough to fit eight people. Harry, Cho, and Lupin sat down quickly as a tall Goblin (at least, tall for a goblin) walked in and greeted Harry. "Hello Mr. Potter, it's good to see that your Guardian has finally allowed you to finally go through with these proceedings. My name is Gripfang."

"Excuse me, but what is going on?" Harry inquired.

Gripfang chuckled lightly before replying, "My apologies, Mr. Potter, but I thought the other Goblins told you. We have been trying to contact you involving your inheritances and your magical Guardian, Albus Dumbledore, told us that we will see you when you are ready to shoulder the responsibility. Needless to say, we were a bit upset. However, it was your decision as to when you arrived here and, while it is not as soon as we would have preferred, it is better due to the recent additions that have been made. That way we can go through this in one go."

Feeling even more confused, Harry replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I did not know that Albus Dumbledore was my Guardian, that you were waiting for me, or that I had an inheritance. I just came in to make a withdrawal so that I can go shopping."

Gripfang's smile faltered. "That cannot be right. We have been telling Headmaster Dumbledore to bring you here for a little over a year. Are you telling me you did not know about our requests to see you?"

Lupin quickly interjected with, "Well then, it's a good thing we came then. May I ask that we move along so that Mr. Potter and Ms. Chang here can move on to the other duties that they have scheduled for today?"

The Goblin seemed to awake from his momentary shock as he smiled and sat down across from Harry. "Yes, let's do that. I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do."

The Goblin shuffled through a small pile of folders and papers that magically appeared on the table and handed one of the larger folders to Harry as he said, "Now, as the last surviving member of the Potter House you would have been given full control of your accounts and possessions therein at the age of 15, but we needed to speak to you before you gained full control of your vaults. Now that we are speaking, you gain full access to your inheritance and we will inform Headmaster Dumbledore that he is no longer needed to manage your accounts. Enclosed in the folder that you have you will find a complete listing of the 5 Potter vaults you now control, as well as all properties and investments made in the Potter name. Your Wizengamot representative will soon be notified of your return and will meet with you here in order to discuss whether you wish him to continue representing you in the court or not."

Harry and Lupin began looking through the folders as Harry asked, "What are the names of the original holders of these Vaults, and how do I have a seat on the Wizengamot?"

"The five original owners of these vaults are the personal vaults of James Potter, Lily Potter, one joined account of the aforementioned individuals, The Potter ancestral Vault, and your own personal vault that was created for your education. Together you own over four hundred million Galleons in gold and assets. As for your second question; The Wizengamot has seats for the oldest pureblood families of Britons that have not sold their positions."

Harry interrupted with, "The Weasley's don't have a seat on the Wizengamot."

"That is because while they are a pureblood family, they emigrated to Brittan from Germany just shy of 700 years ago. They are not originally from Britain and, as such, they do not have a seat. As for your representative, I believe he is a man named Mr. Gibbon."

Lupin leaned over and whispered to Harry, "Severus told me about him, he's a Death Eater who bribed the older seat to resign and put him in, but I didn't know he took the Potter seat. He usually tries to help push through laws that help Pure-bloods, but he's not a very influential man."

Harry nodded as Cho asked, "Wasn't he suspected of being a Death Eater during You-know-who's first rise?"

Seeing an opportunity Harry acted surprised and said, "Really? I would prefer to have no affiliations with Death Eaters, suspected or otherwise. Mr. Gripfang, please tell Mr. Gibbon that, although I'm sure he was a good representative, I will no longer need his services. Instead, I would like to place Mr. Lupin here as my representative."

Lupin's eyes widened dramatically as Gripfang frowned. "As you wish, Mr. Potter, but I'm sorry to say that Mr. Lupin cannot be your representative. There is a faux law in place saying that no magical creature can officially hold a seat, and as Mr. Lupin is known in the magical world to be a Werewolf he is considered a magical creature. That law is due to end along with this century, but until then he cannot hold a seat."

Harry thought for a moment while Lupin sighed in release, "Then just put Lupin on as a temporary seat while I search for a suitable replacement."

Lupin groaned as Gripfang said, "That is more than acceptable Mr. Potter. Moving on," he waved his hand as another stack of folders appeared. "I will now explain your other inheritance. As a Mr. Sirius Black was the last known male heir of the Black family, his departure would mean that his sister, Narcissa Malfoy, would inherit everything. However, Mr. Black contacted us shortly after Christmas and we organized his will-"

Cho interrupted by asking, "Wait a moment, Mr. Black was a convicted criminal. That usually causes his properties to move on to the nearest family member. How is it that he was still the head of the Black family?"

Lupin, more surprised that Cho wasn't wondering why Sirius was being mentioned in such a casual manner than anything else, looked at her quizzically before replying. "Sirius was never given a trial; he was just convicted. As such, there are no official documents that would cause him to lose his status. Besides, the official pardon he was given last week would have reinstated him as head if he was still alive."

Gripfang glared slightly for being interrupted before continuing. "As I was saying, his will stated that you were to inherit everything, so this folder will tell you how much gold, possessions, and investments are in the black ancestral vault as well as his personal account."

Harry opened the folder and almost immediately knew that, while he did not understand exactly how much gold he was worth, he had enough where he could live the rest of his life comfortably and never work again. He quickly brushed that aside and asked, "I'm sorry, but I know nothing about handling these accounts. Is there a Goblin banker that I can hire to manage my accounts until I am able?"

Gripfang smirked brightly as he said, "Yes Mr. Potter, there are many Goblins here who can handle your accounts. All transactions will need your signature, but he will be able to process and invest your money in a sufficient manner that we guarantee will raise your profits. For a small fee, that is."

"How do we know this Goblin will not rob Harry Blind?" Lupin asked suspiciously.

Harry responded before Gripfang could. "The goblins wouldn't do that because it would damage their reputation. If I lost all of my money, everyone would know and all the other Pure-blood families who use this system will pull out their money in fear of having the same thing happen to them. Besides, they will be making money off of my profits anyway through the employment of one of their own as well as bank fees for all the transactions. They make a lot more money by helping me than by robbing me in the long run. Damn, I'm only turning sixteen and I know that!"

Cho giggled slightly before saying, "Harry, I did better than anyone in my year in Goblin History – which includes how they run these banks – and _I_ didn't even realize that until you said something."

Gripfang smiled slightly before saying, "You are a very smart man, Mr. Potter. I like that. As such, I am willing to offer my personal services to you in handling your accounts. I wouldn't normally do this, but I like your character and I already know your accounts, so I would be a more than adequate choice."

Harry nodded in agreement and Gripfang spit into his hand and held it towards him. Harry looked at Gripfang's hand for a moment before mimicking the action and shaking the Goblin's hand. A small glow came from inside their hands as Gripfang spoke. "Alright, with that settled let us move on to discussing the Black seat in the Wizengamot, who is…" he checked a small folder, "Ah yes, he goes by the name of Rui Chang."

Cho's eyes widened slightly, "My dad is the seat of the Black Family! I thought that he was the seat of his own!"

"He's the seat for both, actually." Gripfang said, "And is most influential because of it."

Harry nodded before saying, "Please allow me to set up a meeting with him on the week before I return to Hogwarts. Is there anything else?"

Gripfang shook his head and replied, "No, I do not believe so unless you would like to view your vaults?"

Lupin coughed and said, "I do not believe that we will have time for that. Maybe we should do that another day."

Harry agreed and, twenty minutes and three cart rides later, the small group walked out of Gringotts with their moneybags clinking, proving that they are full.

"Lupin," Harry asked a little too calmly, "Why wasn't I told that the Goblin's wanted to speak to me?"

Lupin fidgeted slightly as he said, "I don't know, Harry. That's something you'll have to bring up with Dumbledore when you see him."

"When will that be?" Harry asked.

"At the latest it will be on your birthday."

Harry nodded before turning to Cho, "Well then, let's go shopping since that was the plan. Shall we?" Harry presented his arm to Cho, who graciously accepted it and led them down Diagon Alley to a store called Twillfit and Tatting's. "This place has very formal clothing," Cho said, "so I think we should stop in here and get you some more clothes like what you're wearing."

Harry agreed reluctantly and followed her into the shop. Inside there were racks of finely tailored shirts, pants, and coats, as well as an area in the back where people can get measured. Cho took Harry to the area where there were collared shirts and jackets and began to peruse for something she thought would be nice for Harry. Harry himself wandered towards the coats, and looked at the tag for one of the nicer leather coats when he yelped, "Bloody hell, this coat costs Ninety-five Galleons! What is this made out of?"

"Shh!" Cho hissed, "Don't be so loud. Yes, it's expensive, but it's not like you're pressed for cash, are you? Besides, that's one of the more pricey items in the store. Most of the clothes in here aren't that expensive, though I will admit that everything in here is not for those who aren't willing to spoil themselves."

Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind the pair. "May I help you two with something?"

Harry and Cho turned to see a man in a finely made outfit consisting of Grey pants and a dark blue turtleneck. Cho smiled and said, "Mr. Robertson, how good it is to see you here! I was hoping that you were here today. We're here to help Harry here buy a couple of formal outfits. You know, for social gatherings and the like."

Mr. Robertson arched his eyebrow as he examined Harry, his eyes noticeably flickering over Harry's scar. "Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Potter shopping on my shift. This is the first time you've been in here, I believe, is it not?" Harry nodded and Mr. Robertson turned to Cho, "Well Ms. Chang, I'm sure we can find something for this young man that will ensure that he makes a very graceful entrance to any party."

The next forty minutes was spent with Harry being measured, then a long and boring (to Harry) discussion between what colors, styles, and fabrics would be best for Harry. In the end, Harry spent over 200 Galleons on two forest green collared shirts, two sets of silver cufflinks with onyx stones, two turtleneck sweaters (one black and one light blue), three pairs of dress pants, and two pairs of elegant dress shoes. Harry did not want to buy so much, but Cho and Mr. Robertson rebuked by saying that it was important that he have a large variety to avoid wearing the same thing twice, and Lupin merely shrugged and said, "I know nothing of Fashion."

After buying Harry's formal wear, Cho led them down Diagon Alley past Ollivander's, who seemed to be closed down, and down a side street one building down. As Harry walked around the building, He saw the street filled with Teenage, as well as some slightly older, Witches and Wizards walking around as if there was no war to be worried about. He looked around and noticed shops for clothes, music, accessories, and Quidditch. He also noticed a bookstore, a small grouping of Restaurants, and saw that the first shop to his right was the Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

"Harry," Cho began as she saw where Harry was staying, "I know you probably want to visit the Weasley's but that's not what we're here for. Let's go buy you some clothes, and then we can go later if we have time."

Harry, thinking that it would be better to avoid the joke shop altogether while he was with Cho, nodded quickly as Cho walked Harry down to a clothing store called Wizard style with Remus a few steps behind. The day seemed to pass quickly as he began shopping with the dark-haired girl. He had fun with her in a way that he never had before: There was no pressure to do anything, no feelings of isolation from the outside world, and no feeling that he was constantly being pushed towards some dark grand finale. It was just him and Cho walking around and talking like two normal teenagers with a chaperone that was far enough to give them privacy, but close enough to ensure their safety. They walked from store to store and bought jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, and trainers. It was shortly after they walked out of Lillibett's Leather with two new trench coats for Harry when they realized that it was nearly six. They quickly shrank Harry's bags for easier carrying and made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Once there, Tom showed them to the back where the private Floo chimney was when Cho looked at Harry and said, "Thanks for meeting me Harry. I had a great time today."

Harry gave Cho a small hug and said, "Thanks for meeting me. This was certainly better, and less awkward, than our time at Hogsmeade."

As Harry began to let Cho go she quickly wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him closer. Harry began to blush as she slowly pulled him closer and Lupin walked out of the room. "Cho," Harry began to say before she turned her head slightly and silenced him with a kiss.

She began by lightly pressing her lips against his, followed by small butterfly kisses that slowly became deeper. Then, he felt her mouth open slightly and her tongue lightly grazed his lips. Feeling a shock of pleasure, Harry wondered how to respond as he mimicked all but her last action. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth to do what she did when he suddenly felt a wave of warmth and a small tongue invade his mouth. If Harry had to describe this moment in the future, he would have said that it felt almost as good as being under the Imperius curse. His mind was suddenly swept of all thought as he kissed Cho, their tongues dancing in his mouth before moving back into hers. His mind seemed blissfully content when his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he deepened the kiss, and Cho's hands made their way into Harry's hair as she began to play with the strands on the back of his head. Cho began to lean over Harry slightly as the kiss intensified for a moment before they broke apart for air. They breathed in for a moment before giving each other another full, probing kiss and breaking apart once again. Harry noticed her eyes were slightly glazed and her lips were slightly swollen and pouting before she released him and said, "Whoa, that was…"

"…Amazing." Harry finished for her.

"Yeah," Cho agreed as she caught her breath. "I better get going now. I'll write to you soon."

Harry nodded as Cho stepped away and grabbed some Floo powder. She threw it in the fire and screamed "Chang Mansion!" and was quickly gone. Harry smiled for a moment as he touched his lips, then quickly went back to the front room in order to find Lupin.

* * *

**A/N**: I'd like to take this time to say that Dumbledore will not play a major role in this story, but he will be in plenty of important scenes. For those who are wondering when the action will start, I'd like to let you know that it will happen in 2 or 3 chapters from now. Also, I got the name for Lillibett's Leather from a story written from an author named **Kinsfire**, whose work I greatly admire.


	4. Discoveries and Plots

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all non-OC's are not mine, but the plot and all OC's are. Thanks for listening.

**A/N:** There's no action in this chapter, but everything here is important so I hope you'll enjoy it.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 4: Discoveries and Plots  
By: Nanio-713**

In southern Britain there is a small castle: it is untraceable, unplottable, and completely unnoticed by Muggles and Wizards. Rumors of its existence have been lost in the sands of time, and now only two people know of its location. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't others that travel through the castle as well.

Wormtail traveled through the large entranceway and up the first staircase he saw. He hated the fact that he, like so many other Death Eaters, needed Voldemort's special portkey to arrive here. He felt that he could be trusted with such information seeing as he could never go back to the Wizarding World if Voldemort didn't succeed. But, as it was not his place to judge the Dark Lord's decision, he kept his mouth shut.

Wormtail walked through several corridors and through a small sitting room to finally arrive in a large chamber. This chamber was almost completely empty save for three objects and three living creatures; there were two chairs as large as thrones, with a smooth pattern of snakes designing the back, arms, and legs. In front of the thrones was a large round table where an impressively massive snake lay coiled, its head raised and its fangs bared to strike at Wormtail. Standing in front of the throne-like chair was a woman, who was considered a magnificent beauty by all of the Death Eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange. Her body, once skinny and malnourished due to her time in Azkaban, finally appeared to be completely recovered from her time there. Her considerable figure was obvious despite the modest black robes she wore. Her face – beautiful, but not as much as her sister, Narcissa's – was set in a small scowl as she watched Wormtail enter the room. Wormtail paid little attention to the snake or the woman as he approached and bowed before the man sitting upon the throne, Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort held his nose up slightly as he inspected Wormtail before standing. His robes opened slightly to show the Dark Lord's well tailored clothing, suitable for a man of his status. The Dark Lord's red eyes pierced through Wormtail as he blew air heavily out through the slits of his nose. "Hello, Wormtail, it's about time you returned. It has been a surprisingly long time since you left. You've been gone far too long for comfort, to be honest. Did you stop anywhere on the way back?"

"No, my lord, I did not go anywhere." Wormtail replied.

Voldemort stared at Wormtail and he knew that the Dark Lord was using Legilimency on him. He hated not knowing Occlumency – since Voldemort favored those who did – but was grateful that he was not lying this time. Finally, after a considerable amount of time, the Dark Lord said, "What do you have to report?"

Voldemort liked hearing things from his followers, even after he took it out of their mind. It was just another way to ensure his followers obeyed him. Knowing this, Wormtail did not hesitate to answer. "I met with your contact in Diagon Alley, as per your instructions, and he told me that the Potter boy has been given a larger leash by Dumbledore during the summer."

"Explain!" Bellatrix snapped.

Wormtail acted as if he did not hear Bellatrix. "It appears that our contact saw Harry Potter walking through Diagon Alley today with Remus Lupin, the werewolf. He also appeared to be in the presence of a young witch, my lord, who seemed to be acting in a manner of courtship around him."

The Dark Lord rubbed his chin. "Does anyone who saw them know who the girl was?"

"No, my lord," Wormtail replied. "None of our spies who saw her knew, although they are currently asking around for information."

"Well, I guess you aren't completely incompetent after all," Bellatrix stated. "You're just mostly incompetent."

"Indeed," Voldemort agreed as he looked to Bellatrix. "Do you think he will appear in Diagon alley again soon?"

"Yes, I-" Wormtail began to scream in pain as the Dark Lord performed the Cruciatus curse on him.

He released the spell and hissed, "I did not ask you, you miserable worm!" He turned back to Bellatrix and asked softly, "Well?"

Bellatrix smiled as she responded. "I believe that he will return within the next two or three weeks, my lord, if only to buy school books."

"Excellent, that will be wonderful." Voldemort hissed at the Snake on the table for a moment before turning back to Bellatrix. "Bella, I want you to contact some of my followers and give them an assignment for me. If Potter reappears again, I want them to capture him without delay."

Bellatrix bowed. "I will lead the team myself."

"No," Voldemort hissed. "I will need you by my side. We have a few… _public_ appearances to make, my dear."

Bellatrix smiled as the Dark Lord began to laugh wildly.

* * *

Harry Potter sat across the table from Tonks, panting heavily. Today's Legilimency battle was proving very tough, as Tonks placed him into yet another stalemate. However, today was different since this was the first day where Harry felt Tonks shields nearly break under his pressure, although his nearly broke as well. They were going at it one last time before lunch, and Harry was determined to win, if only to begin training on something else. He pushed her barriers to the limit while she did the same to his. This progressed for quite some time as Harry tried to find some weakness. _If only I didn't have her pushing so hard on my shields,_ Harry thought. Suddenly, an idea came to him! He weakened his shields slightly and pumped the power into his Legilimency. His shields buckled dangerously as he felt himself begin to slip through her barriers. His head began pounding mercilessly as he forced himself deeper through her shields. Suddenly, he felt his shield give way at the same time he shattered her defenses.

He felt Tonks at the edge of his consciousness, but could not hold himself back as he flew through the outer level of her mind and into her memories. _Tonks was nine, looking at herself in the mirror as she changed her hair into various colors and styles. She was twelve and was sitting alone at the Hufflepuff table, since everyone discovered she was a metamorphmagus. She was out of school and dancing with a guy as he pulled her closer and asked, "So, you can transform your _entire _body into whatever you want?" She then pushed him away and smacked him hard._

Memory upon memory flooded his mind as he tried to pull out of her mind. Finding no way out, he then decided to take Lupin's advice on delving deeper into Tonks' mind. _Harry was eight-years-old and crying as he looked at his arm, bent in an unnatural angle. His aunt pulled him off of the concrete of the street as she said, "We're going to have to take you to the hospital to fix this, you know! I swear, you're becoming more of a burden everyday!" Harry was twelve years old, fighting back the Basilisk with his sword before he suddenly felt a fang bite into his arm. He was fourteen years old and awkwardly dancing in a slow circle with Parvati Patil._

Many more memories flowed through his mind before he realized that the memories disappeared. He sat across from Tonks, an undecipherable look on her face as she stared at him. She stood up, and Harry could have sworn that he felt himself stand as well, although he was aware that he was still sitting. He watched Tonks as she moved around the table and sat next to him on the bench, and noticed in a detached manner that he felt every step she took and every move she made as if they were his own. He felt her hands as if they were on his own as she smoothed her hands down her shirt to remove any creases and began to blush, and saw that her face began to blush as well even though she didn't appear embarrassed in the least. _Congratulations, Harry, you finally reached your highest level in Legilimency. You appear to be slightly weaker than I, although the difference is technically negligible. You went through my memories and are now at the nerve center of my brain, although you seem to have accidentally put me in yours as well when you summoned your own memories._

_Why do I feel everything that you do, Tonks?_

_Since we're as far into each other's mind as this, our minds are processing both sets of senses. When we pullout of each other's minds, you won't feel what I do anymore._

Harry nodded and thought to Tonks, _I tried to stop myself when I reached your memories, and took Remus' advice in order to get myself out. I'm sorry I saw so much. I did not want to intrude on your trust, and unwittingly did so._

Tonks nodded, _I will admit that you saw a few things that I didn't want you to see, and I'm sure I saw a few things you never wanted another to see as well._ Harry nodded, _We appear to know more about each other than any other person alive, so I guess there's only one thing left to do._

_What is that? _Harry thought.

_Comfort each other for the pain we've been through._ Before Harry had the chance to even think anything else, he felt Tonks pull his head to her shoulder in an embrace. Harry was unprepared for such a move, and quickly wrapped his arms around Tonks as they both began to cry in grief. The two quickly succumbed to more tears as they thought bitterly of all of the isolation and grief that was scattered throughout their own lives. They clutched each other so tightly that, due to their mental connection, Harry could no longer tell where he ended and Tonks began. They just seemed, to his mind, to be a whole ball of grief and confusion. They cried for a long time, using each other to find some sort of comfort, until Harry eventually felt their minds separate into two again and he felt a wave of calm contentment engulf him. Harry and Tonks continued to clutch onto each other tightly for some time until he heard the door open and Mrs. Weasley said softly, "I'm sorry for interrupting. You two seem to be having a moment, so I'll come back later."

Tonks pulled away from Harry and he watched as she wiped tears away from her bloodshot, and currently jade green, eyes. "Don't worry about it, Mrs. Weasley. We were just finishing Harry's last mental defense lesson when we seemed to have a bit of a cathartic moment. We're fine, if a bit tired now."

Mrs. Weasley's face took the ultimate display of sympathy as she said, "Of course, dears. Why don't the two of you go up to bed while I make you some lunch? Then I'm afraid I'll have to go back home to help Fleur with her wedding plans. Go on upstairs now, and I'll take your food up to you."

The duo nodded before raising and walking out of the door. Harry led Tonks up the stairs, pondering the whole time about how he should react to what just happened. He learned, in just one day, everything there was to know about Tonks. Then again, she knew everything about him as well. What should they do? Should they act as if it never happened? Should they accept it and move on? Should they do something about this newfound connection? Thoughts of this sort flew through Harry and Tonks mind as they walked through Grimmauld Place. They reached Tonks' room and Harry waved goodbye, but before he could take another step Tonks grabbed his arm and said, "Wait Harry, I… I want to speak with you."

Harry looked at Tonks, who seemed to transform slightly. She seemed slimmer, and shorter. She looked about five feet tall, with a slim yet curvy shape, and was standing in a position that screamed vulnerability. He doubted that she meant to transform in that manner. He felt a small pang of sympathy as he asked, "What would you like to talk about?"

"I'd rather speak privately," Tonks said. "Will you please step into my room so we can talk?"

"Sure Tonks," Harry smiled slightly and took Tonks' hand and stepped into her room. Her room looked a lot like his when he first looked through his room: incredibly messy, but he knew that she could find anything in this room immediately. This room must have been used for special guests because it appeared to be designed liked the master bedroom, just to a smaller scale. To his right was a small table with two chairs, to his left was the wardrobe, dresser, and closet, and directly in front of him was a queen size bed with a Chest at the foot of it. Tonks took him to the table and the two sat opposite from each other in silence.

There was a considerable pause before Tonks began talking. "I don't think either of us expected what happened today to occur, but it has. So, now that it has happened, we need to figure out how we're going to let it affect us."

Harry paused for a moment before saying, "Tonks, we both have been really close these past few weeks and what's happened between us…" Harry paused as he thought for a moment, "My feelings regarding you haven't really changed. They feel as if they merely tempered themselves. It seems that the closeness and trust I had for you merely strengthened as they would have over time. The only difference is that instead of it happening over time, it manifested itself now."

Tonks thought for a moment as she crossed her legs as she moved a strand of long, curly brown hair away from her face. Harry didn't remember seeing her choose that hairstyle, and she quickly shortened and spiked it when the strand fell back into her field of vision. She changed her hair color pink again before responding, "You're right, in a way. My feelings haven't changed. They've only gotten stronger." Tonks blushed lightly before changing the subject, "So, how was your date yesterday?"

Harry quirked his eyebrow and smiled before asking, "Don't you already know? You were in my mind, after all."

Tonks smiled and said, "Yeah, but regardless of what I know it's still polite to ask."

Harry chuckled as he began to tell her about his date with Cho. He was as detailed as possible, leaving nothing of their activities out until he reached their parting in the leaky cauldron. "Well, before she left she told me she enjoyed spending time with me. Then, we… kissed." He finished lamely.

Tonks smiled, "So how was it? Did you enjoy it?"

Harry thought about not answering, then immediately dismissed it. "It was incredible. I didn't know something as simple as a kiss would make me feel that way. It warmed me to the toes and made me wish it could go on forever."

"A good kiss does that to you," Tonks sighed. "When that kiss is with someone special. Your first girlfriend… She'll always be special to you, Harry. Your firsts always are: Your first kiss, first date, first time you lay with someone…"

Tonks seemed to be lost in her thoughts for a moment. Fearing she may become melancholy, Harry quickly replied. "And your date? How did that go: was the guy nice or did he earn a spot in the kneed groin club?"

Tonks giggled for a moment before saying, "Well, he lucked out apparently since I agreed to see him again. He was a complete gentleman, and did not screw up once on our date. He danced incredibly, although his hands were a little too firm."

Harry quirked his eyebrow, "Hands go where they shouldn't have?"

Tonks waved away his comment, "No, nothing like that. He just wasn't the greatest dancer. He tended to hold himself too stiffly, and I tend to be more fluid and graceful in my steps."

Harry chuckled, "Yeah, I've always wondered how you can fight and dance without a single problem, yet under any other circumstance you trip over your own shadow. Even know I can't seem to guess why."

Tonks shot Harry a dark look but before she could respond Mrs. Weasley stepped in with a tray bearing two bowls of soup. "Alright Tonks, I have-" she jumped slightly as she noticed Harry sitting at the table. "Oh Harry! I didn't expect to see you here. Well, I was going to take your soup to your room but I guess you can both eat here. Harry, as soon as you're done I want you to go to your room and have a little nap to clear your head. You look a bit tired so I do hope you'll listen to me."

Harry nodded as Mrs. Weasley served him and Tonks their soup and left. The two ate in silence, grateful and content for the silent companionship. Their meal was finished in silence, at which point Harry headed back two his room, changed into a pair of shorts, and fell asleep immediately.

* * *

Cho sat at the dinner table with her parents, eating slowly as her parents discussed some dinner party happening later in the week. She hadn't talked a lot with her parents since the last time she saw Harry, which was two days ago. She wrote to him yesterday and they spoke briefly, with Harry talking about what happened during his Legilimency training. Cho didn't like the fact that he became closer to the woman training him, but Harry assured her that there was nothing going on between them, so she trusted that nothing would happen between those two. Still…

Cho was brought out of her brooding when she heard her father say, "…your trip to Diagon and Sun Turn Ally? How was Marietta?"

Cho looked temporarily confused as she turned to her mother, who was focused on her food. _Mum didn't tell dad that I went on a date,_ she realized. She turned back to her father and said, "The trip was fun dad, but I didn't go with Marietta."

Rui Chang quirked his eyebrow as he said, "Really? Then who did you go with? You know you're not supposed to go out on your own right now." He turned to Cho's mother. "Ann, do you know who she went to Diagon Alley with?"

Cho's mother looked up from her plate and looked at her husband in a way that Cho recognized as the kind of look that only married couples would understand. "She refused to tell me exactly who it was, but apparently it was a boy of good social standing, since he supposedly had an armed escort with him."

Her parent's turned to Cho, who began to feel as if she were trapped in a cage, as she spoke. "He did have an escort who followed us everywhere. We were never unsupervised, and everyone was prepared to defend themselves if any Death Eaters arrived."

Rui stared at Cho and asked, "Who is the boy that you met?"

Cho thought quickly for a way to delay answering, "Dad, when you bought the empty Gaunt Family seat and changed it to the Chang Family seat, did you buy any other seats."

Rui frowned, but allowed his daughter to steer the conversation. "No, I did not. However, the seat did come with a representative position for the Black Family. I didn't understand why until I discovered that Sirius Black, the criminal, didn't want to run the family seat. Since the Black daughters were married there was no one else left to run it, I gained full control. Apparently the House of Black gave the Gaunt's authority over their seat in times when there wasn't a legitimate Black heir to run it. It's a good thing too, considering Black was a Death Eater. I shutter to think of what would have happened if he managed to keep control over the position. Why do you ask?"

Cho thought for a moment and decided not to correct her father in regards to Sirius Black. After all, she wasn't supposed to know anything about him. _Hell, Professor Lupin wasn't even aware that Harry told me anything about Sirius! Of course, I only found out after setting up the Date with Harry._ She looked at her father and responded, "Have you been contacted by the new heir yet, asking for a meeting?"

Rui's face hardened. "How do you know about that, Cho?"

Cho's face remained passive. "Because I was with the heir as the Goblin told him that you were the Black Family Representative."

Rui gave up on eating his dinner and leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Well, this is certainly a surprise. My own daughter knows, and is apparently dating, the man who befriended a known criminal and is now in the process of removing me as his seat. May I ask the name of the man who seems to have corrupted my daughter?"

Cho almost bit her tongue when she held herself back from saying a few harsh words. "First of all, Sirius Black was given a full pardon, as you well know, so he isn't _actually_ a criminal, is he? Secondly, I have not been corrupted by anyone. I am merely stating the truth, and the truth is not inherently good or evil; it just is. Lastly, the man I was with… was Harry Potter."

The silence that flooded the room was so thick Cho felt as if every breath she took was filling her with too much air. Cho's Mother looked so shocked that not even a Dementor in a tutu would get a reaction from her, and her father's face took such a hardened expression that Cho couldn't begin to fathom his thoughts.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he spoke. "Well, this is an interesting development. First, my daughter brazenly insults me and then tells me that I'm the representative of an evil madman."

Ann cried, "Rui!"

Rui held up his hand, "It is true. Harry Potter is a Parselmouth, which is well known as a dark talent. He claims that he is connected to Voldemort through his scar, which is impossible since there is no magic that can do such a thing."

"Father, there are many well known spells and enchantments that bond-"

"-You cannot bond with a wraith, spirit, or other non-corporeal being since it does not have a body, or object, to ground the connection! Do not interrupt me again!" Rui stared at Cho until she sat back (with a little fear in her eyes) before continuing again. "Harry Potter has managed to place himself in extremely dangerous situations at Hogwarts for little more reason than idle curiosity. This includes the fact that he was caught at the scene of several crimes, granted he _was_ innocent. He is known to have battled a Basilisk in his second year, associated himself with a convicted criminal _and_ a Werewolf in his third year, managed to wrangle himself into the Triwizard tournament in his fourth year – which, by the way, resulted in your old boyfriend's death – and started an illegal club in his fifth year. And finally, the boy breaks into the Ministry of Magic, bringing with him five Hogwarts students, allows several Death Eaters to follow him into the only unguarded entrance, and then destroys most of the Unspeakable department while dueling! All of these events seemed to have been caused by Mr. Potter's curiosity and inability to follow the rules. I will not sit quietly and allow my daughter to see a man who is powerful, is dangerous to be associated with, and has such little regard for human life!"

Cho became so angry during her father's rant that it took her some time to find her voice, although that did not stop her from noticing that her father didn't know about Harry's battle with professor Quirrell in his first year. "It was not Harry's fault that he was thrown into all of those situations. Would you rather another student died than Harry killing one of the darkest monsters in existence? Can you blame him for chasing after his friend who was captured by your supposed criminal? Does it not matter that the criminal whom we are talking about has been given a pardon because he never committed the crimes of which he was convicted? Does the fact that professor Lupin, besides being a Werewolf, was one of the best professors I've ever had not matter to you? Does it count for nothing that Harry did not enter himself into the tournament and, while failing to completely protect Cedric, he ensured that Cedric's body was returned to his parents? Did you forget that _I_ was _also_ a member of that illegal club? And how is it his fault that Death Eaters want him dead? He was tricked into going to the Ministry by those Death Eaters, and protected all of his friends while holding off a large group of dangerous dark wizards! How does the fact that Harry didn't want any of that to happen NOT seem to factor into your reasoning?"

"Cho," Rui began, "Harry Potter has caused the death of more than one person, and has put countless more at risk. He has shown that his decision-making skills are suspect, and that he has tendencies to bring everyone around him into serious danger. Do you really want to be with a boy who has proven himself hazardous not only to himself and his friends, but also yourself and possibly all of those you love?"

Cho stood at the table proudly, looking at her father. "Father, Harry is a gentle, caring, warm-hearted person who has been placed into situations that he had no control over. He has proven countless times that he is able to protect himself and those around him. Harry inspires enough courage in others that they don't abandon him even when he is telling them to stay away from dangerous situations. Harry has done everything possible to protect those close to him from harm, even if you can't see that over the times where he couldn't protect everyone. He is the only person who, I believe, has a chance of defeating Voldemort." Cho sighed. "I really like Harry, dad, and nothing you tell me will change that."

Silence filled the room at that point, with none of the Chang's willing to say another word. Cho sighed, pushed her chair neatly under the table, and left her parents sitting at the dining table, there half-eaten dinners forgotten.

_**End of Chapter**_

**A/N:** No, Harry and Tonks are not going to hook up because of the Legilimency experience. My reasons for doing that will become obvious in the chapters to come. I am working as fast as I can, but my schedule is hectic and I can't get much writing done.


	5. Harry's Birthday

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all non-OC's are not mine, but the plot and all OC's are. Thanks for listening. I also do not own Alice in Wonderland, but that's neither here nor there.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
****Chapter 5: Harry's Birthday  
****By: Nanio-713**

Harry's awoke on his birthday in a very calm mood. The past week had been hard on him: First, he and Tonks were starting to act like Fred and George by finishing each others sentences and practically knowing what the other is planning to do during the day. While this made for very entertaining duels in the mornings, it did tend to ruin the surprises during their free time. However, Harry and Tonks did have a lot of fun annoying Remus whenever he visited Grimmauld Place.

Another reason for the calm mood was because he knew he had to start planning for his meeting with Mr. Chang, and that he had to find a new representative for the Potter Family seat. He spoke to Cho earlier in the week and knew that her father did not think very highly of him. He had to convince her father that he was stable, or Mr. Chang may prove a difficult foe in both politics and his personal life. After all, Harry _was_ dating the man's daughter.

Yawning, Harry stood and made his way to the bathroom. After a long, hot shower, Harry changed into a stylish dark blue shirt, with a dark grey V-neck shirt over it. He then completed the outfit with black slacks and some black trainers. He looked at himself in the mirror and absently thought to himself, _I really need to thank Cho for picking out my clothes. This looks incredible._ He began to check his back to make sure everything was on properly when the Mirror said (with a feminine voice), "Don't worry honey, your bum looks incredible in those slacks."

Harry chuckled as he began to blush. He grabbed his wand and Journal and put them into his robes before making his way downstairs to the kitchen, where Tonks was busy making some pancakes. She was slightly taller than Harry today – about 5' 8" – and had her hair short and blond. He sat down as Tonks set a small stack on the table, then almost immediately tripped as she turned to walk around the table. Fortunately, Harry was quick enough to grab Tonks' arm and pull her upright. Unfortunately, he pulled a little too hard, causing her to fall into his lap. Tonks giggled, "Harry, I know it's your birthday but I'm not your present!"

Harry smirked, "Then why's there a bow on your back?"

Tonks pushed Harry playfully as she stood up and undid the apron she was wearing, "To keep my clothes clean while I made breakfast. I already changed into what I'll be wearing at your party."

Tonks took off her apron to reveal a pair of tight denim Jeans and a Pink tank top. She then changed her hair to a shocking turquoise which reached to her back. "Well," she asked as she made her way to her seat, "what do you think?"

Harry arched his eyebrow, "You certainly look dressed to impress. Is your boyfriend coming to the party tonight?"

Tonks shook her head, "Alas, Alex is not coming to your party. 'Double D' said I couldn't bring him since he's not in the Order."

"Double D?" Harry asked.

"Oh you know, Dumbledore." Tonks said as she took a drink of orange juice.

Harry began to laugh so hard he began to cough. Once he recovered, the duo began to eat and trade small banter. As they neared the end of their meal Tonks asked, "Are you all packed and ready to go to the new headquarters?"

Harry sighed, "Yeah, I'm fully prepared. All that's left is for you to shrink my trunks. What's going to happen to this place, anyway?"

Tonks shook her head, "Nothing much, really. Dumbledore's just planning on using this place as a backup now. If we can't have a meeting in the new place, then we're going to have them here. Plus, we're going to have all the little update meetings here, since they usually involve smaller numbers. Those can run away quickly if Death Eater's start breaking into the place."

Harry nodded, "The Headmaster seems to know war tactics well enough. When will I see him?"

Tonks, wanting to calm Harry a bit, began with, "Harry-"

Harry interrupted, "-That man deliberately prevented me from collecting my inheritance without letting me know about it. If I had gotten it earlier I could have began training outside of school much sooner."

Tonks began rubbing her temples, "No one knew that you would become an emancipated minor if you collected your inheritance, Harry, and I wouldn't have been able to teach you earlier anyway. Hell, you didn't find out until Wednesday when Remus came to visit!"

"Hey," Harry said defensively, "He's my temporary representative. He's supposed to tell me those kinds of things. It's too bad you can't be my official representative. You could do so well with people like Remus and me behind you."

"As a metamorphmagus I technically am a Magical creature, Harry. There's nothing you can do about that. Now don't change the subject! Why are you so hell bent on ripping Dumbledore a new one? It's not like he stole from you or anything."

Harry groaned, "Fine, the reason is because I don't trust him anymore. Every time I start to feel as if the man is done playing with my life I find another time when he's doing something or planning something that involves me. The man is always giving me hints and clues that I use to stop whatever horrors that are plaguing me each year, then he talks to me afterward and explains why I had to fight whatever it is I'm fighting. If Dumbledore knows so much, then why did I have to fight Quirrell and the Basilisk? Why was Sirius not pardoned until after his death? And why were both the prophecy you saw in my memories and my inheritance both held from me until now."

Tonks saw the tears beginning to form in his eyes and reached across the table for his hands, "I don't know, Harry. I really don't know why you have to put up with so much in your life. I'd love to tell you that you don't have to and that everything is going to be alright, but I can't. Life throws some messed up things into your life and all you can do is accept it or go insane dwelling on it. Don't dwell on it now, Harry, because it will do you no good."

Harry smiled warily at Tonks as he nodded and began to recompose himself. He was wiping his eyes as he and Tonks heard the doorbell ring. The duo quickly stood and made there way to the front door, where Tonks opened it to reveal a short, bushy haired girl and Remus standing on the steps.

"Harry!" Hermione cried as she ran in and gave Harry a breath-stopping hug. "I'm so glad to see you. I have so much to tell you about my summer so far!"

Harry chuckled as he hugged his best friend and Remus said, "I'll let you two get reacquainted while Tonks and I go get Harry's stuff."

Tonks looked a little hesitant to leave, but a quick tug on her arm got her to follow Remus upstairs. Harry led Hermione to the living room, as they were sitting down on the largest couch, Hermione asked, "So why isn't Mrs. Black screaming like a madwoman after Remus rang the doorbell."

Harry smiled like the Cheshire cat, "Oh, you can't help that, we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." Hermione shoved him playfully as he began to laugh, "Alright, then. The reason is because Dumbledore somehow managed to put silencing spells on all of the portraits in the hall."

Hermione asked, "Really?"

"Well," Harry shrugged, "If he can't take her down, then he could at least shut her up. So, how was your summer so far?"

Harry braced himself as Hermione began speaking very quickly about her visit to Rome and Vatican City, how she showed her parents through the Wizarding World without any prejudice (as opposed to Diagon alley), all the tours and facts she learned, then finished it all of with her favorite topic: Books. "I found so many interesting books on light magic and defensive spells," Hermione exclaimed happily. "It was incredible! We can look over and learn all sorts of shields, counter-curses, and even a few dangerous curses that are considered light, since you can only cast them when you're not angry. We can even teach them to the DA if you decide to continue with it. Are you going to?"

Harry nodded slowly and said, "I've been thinking about that. I decided to continue with it, and it can be official this year. I don't really think we'll need it though; Remus said that we should be getting a competent teacher this year. Regardless, I'll talk to Dumbledore tonight after I sort out some business with him."

Hermione turned her head to the side, "What do you need to talk to Dumbledore about?"

Harry shrugged, "I just found something out recently. I'll tell you later."

She stared at the green-eyed boy incredulously, "Harry, we have hours before we go to the new headquarters for your party. Why don't you tell me now? Tell me about your summer while you're at it too."

Harry smiled before telling her about Cho, Tonks, his Occlumency and Legilimency lessons, and his journal and date with Cho. He described his meeting at Gringotts briefly as he spoke about his date, and avoided giving a lot of details when he explained his Legilimency lesson with Tonks. When she tried to pry more information out of Harry, he said, "I don't think I should give you more details, Hermione. A lot of what I'm telling you involves memories that both Tonks and I don't want others to know, so it's not right to share them with you. Not unless Tonks is here to let me."

Hermione nodded, "That's more than understandable, Harry. I'm glad you opened up to me about your summer so quickly. I guess becoming closer to Cho and Tonks has been good for you."

Harry smiled, "I tell you all about my summer and that's all you can say? Wow, I'm amazed!"

Hermione pushed Harry playfully before saying, "Oh, I have plenty of questions, but seeing as it's almost lunch I figured that I should wait until later."

Harry checked his watch at her comment and noticed that it was, indeed, almost time for lunch. _Almost time to leave for the new HQ_, he thought. He and Hermione continued to talk as Remus and Tonks made their way back into the living room and said, "Alright folks, it's time to go. Dumbledore needs you," Remus pointed to Harry, "to activate the final wards for the new headquarters before he allows everyone into it, so we're going there and activating the wards, going to the Burrow to give everyone access to the house, then returning for the party. Do you have any questions?"

Hermione stood, "Do you know where the Headquarters is?"

Remus shook his head, "No, I haven't seen it yet. However, Dumbledore has given me a portkey for it already and told me that I'll be pleasantly surprised when I see it."

Harry stood and moved around a table so that everyone was standing in a circle. Remus nodded and pulled out a small Thermos from his robes and everyone reached out to touch it. Remus then held up one hand and held up five fingers, then four, three, two, one…

Harry felt the hook behind his Navel as the portkey picked him up and carried everyone through the abyss towards their new hideout. The ride was relatively short and Harry quickly found himself lying on his back on a freshly cut lawn. He stood and looked around to find himself in front of what appeared to be a brand new two-story cottage with a small porch. The neighborhood was nice and fairly quiet, which Harry expected was quite common in the area. He saw his companions stand and look at the cottage and quickly became worried as he saw Remus look at the house then immediately become pale. "No," Remus said quietly, "Please tell me he didn't…"

Harry quickly turned towards the house and quickly walked in, hoping to find Dumbledore and have him explain why Remus would react that way. He opened the door and quickly made his way into the living room of the house where he immediately saw a portrait of… his parents!

"Welcome Harry," he heard a friendly old voice say behind him, "to Godric's Hollow."

_**

* * *

**_

Cho Chang stood in front of the mirror in her room and looked over her outfit one more time. She decided on a yellow and white striped shirt that hugged her upper half and a tight denim skirt that reached just above her knees, with a stylish pair of black boots to complete the ensemble. The mirror told her that she looked good, but she wanted to make sure she took Harry's breath away. She wasn't sure if this would do it, but she hoped that it should at least capture his attention. She was beginning to be worried, though. Harry told her that Remus was going to pick her up for his birthday party around half past noon, and it was already nearing one o' clock. She began to worry that Harry was not going to bring her to the party when she suddenly heard a small ringing that meant Harry was writing in his Journal. She ran quickly to her desk and opened to see a message sprawled in the Journal: _Meet me in Diagon Alley ASAP!_

Not hesitating, Cho quickly put on a robe and grabbed her wand and her pen (now an emergency portkey her mother demanded she go everywhere with) before jumping into the Floo. She arrived at the leaky cauldron and quickly brushed herself off as she looked around. She didn't see Harry, so quickly walked up to Tom the barkeep and asked, "Excuse me, but have you seen Ha-"

Tom held up his hand to silence Cho, "He's in the private room drinking a cup of tea, and does not wished to be disturbed by certain people. Hurry up before someone else shows up!"

Nodding, Cho made her way into one of Tom's private dining rooms and spotted Harry finishing a small cup of Tea. As she closed the door, Harry turned and saw her. "Cho," he breathed slightly as he stood and walked towards her. She noticed that his eyes were slightly puffy from crying and she quickly started murmuring consolations quietly as she pulled Harry into an embrace and began smoothing her hand over his hair. For a small time, nothing was heard beyond a few sobs coming from Harry and Cho repeating, "It's alright, Harry. Everything is going to be okay. Just calm down and tell me what's going on," several times before Harry calmed down enough to release Cho.

He guided her to the table and pulled the chair out for her to sit before serving the two of them Tea and sitting next to her. They quietly added sugar and honey to their drinks before Harry took Cho's hand and said, "I've been a bit of a boor today."

Cho shook her head, "I don't believe you can be one, but tell me what's going on and I'll judge for myself."

Harry nodded and began with, "Well, Today I was moving to a new house that Dumbledore has made secure for me. But when I got there…"

_**Flashback**_

"Welcome Harry," he heard a friendly old voice say behind him, "to Godric's Hollow."

Harry froze momentarily before turning around slowly. Behind him and standing in the dining room door, was Albus Dumbledore.

"I hope you like the house," Dumbledore began, "as I rebuilt it in the exact same way the house looked before the tragic incident that occurred here when you got your scar. I know how much you miss your parents and decided that the best present that I could give you was your own house, rebuilt exactly the way it was when you were still with your parents." Harry was too shocked to say anything, so Albus continued, "I know it was a bit presumptuous of me to do this without your permission, but I thought it would be a good idea. This gives you a warm and safe place to stay, and I felt that your parents would have wanted you to live here."

Harry lowered his head as his arms began to shake lightly. Dumbledore saw Remus, Tonks, and Hermione walk in as he continued with, "Harry, now that you are here I think we should begin the final preparations for the wards. The only thing left to do is to activate the Fidelius charm by stating your name and this location, then stating that everyone in this room is allowed here. The address is number 15 Godric's Hollow. Also, I did mean to tell you this earlier but – as you know – I have not been able to visit number 12 Grimmauld place. It appears that Sirius, before his demise at the Ministry, contacted the Goblins at Gringotts and had you placed as his heir. I shall come back and give you some paperwork to sign later once we're done activating the charm, but for now I feel that it will be fine to just move the Fidelius on that residence to you now, since that is your home. Don't worry: everyone who knows about the charm and Grimmauld place can still access it, since they've already been given permission on the charm and that is not a new one. However, you will have to state that you will allow the order to conduct business here in order to allow everyone into this house."

Harry stayed quiet, and Dumbledore nodded and took his silence for acceptance. He stepped up to Harry and slowly began to draw a very complicated and intricate rune around Harry, the rune glowing white as it was traced in the air. Dumbledore worked in silence for a few minutes before finishing the rune and stepping back. The rune glowed softly and began to slowly swirl around Harry. The rune picked up speed and after a few minutes it was swirling around Harry at a very fast pace. Harry's outline began to glow and Dumbledore quickly pointed his wand at Harry and a small white beam jumped out and hit Harry. There was a quick flash of light before everyone looked to see a softly glowing Harry Potter standing in front of Dumbledore.

"There we are, Harry." Dumbledore said, "You are now connected to the wards. All you have to do now is state that you accept being Grimmauld place's new secret Keeper, and then state the same thing for here. After that, merely state who is allowed into this house to complete the ritual."

Harry stayed silent, his arms now visibly shaking. Dumbledore noticed this and was about to say a few comforting words before Harry said quietly, "How dare you… do this… to my family's home." Harry's voice suddenly boomed, "How dare you violate my home for your own schemes!"

Dumbledore quickly recoiled and asked, "What do you mean Harry? I-"

"You never told me about my inheritance for the Potter family! You told me about the Black family trust first, and even then you weren't planning on telling me what came with the inheritance besides Grimmauld place!" Harry hissed, "If it wasn't for the fact that I visited Gringotts I would know nothing but what you deemed necessary for me to know and before I got a chance to discuss this with you, you bring me HERE! You bring me to the house I was planning on rebuilding in my family's name one day and tell me you want to use it as your clubhouse? How dare you attempt to control me in this way!"

Albus bowed his head, "My dear boy, I did not mean for you to take your arrival here in this way, and if I did know I would have left Godric's Hollow alone. As for your inheritance, I did not mean for you to find out about them in this manner as well. When did you go to Gringotts? Did the Goblin's contact you?"

"You did not mean for me to find out about my inheritance at all!" Harry spat, "I found out on a casual visit to Diagon Alley with Remus, when I wanted to meet up with someone and go shopping."

"Who did you meet? Harry, you know it's dangerous to go there right now, especially-"

"–Don't you dare attempt to admonish me, Headmaster! Who I went to see is my own business, and I did not go alone so I don't see the problem with it. If I hadn't gone now who knows when I would have discovered all the facts about my inheritance."

"I would have taken you there when you turned 17, since that is when you become of age in the Wizarding World."

"Did you not take into account that the Potter inheritance proclaimed me an emancipated minor? Did you not receive the letter from Gringotts saying that your assistance with my accounts was no longer required?"

Dumbledore flinched, "I received a letter from Gringotts, but I thought it was more information about the Black accounts. As such I have not opened it yet."

Tonks, Remus, and Hermione watched the discussion with serious interest, nearly forgotten by the two men who were staring at each other, one with anger and the other with a sort of detached professionalism. Hermione stepped forward to say something but Harry held his hand out to stop her. Harry continued to stare at Dumbledore as he said in barely above a whisper, "You know what I have in store for me with Dumbledore. The Potter inheritance could have helped me train to fight Voldemort sooner. Why did you not let me know in order to at least train for any upcoming fights with him or any of his Death Eater's? I could have used the training to help Sirius…"

Dumbledore sighed, "I did not think you were ready for-"

Harry interrupted, "If I am not ready to handle the Potter and Black estates now, how is it that I can handle the knowledge you gave me and all that it entails? Surely that is more of a burden then two sets of bank accounts?"

Dumbledore seemed to be at a loss of things to say, "Harry, I think we should finish completing the wards before continuing this conversation. As soon as we are done here I will answer every question that you have."

Harry stood defiantly in front of Dumbledore for a minute before smiling and nodding. "You're right, I should finish this ceremony. I hereby accept the Fidelius charm on 12 Grimmauld place and name myself as the Secret Keeper. I hereby accept the Fidelius charm on number 15 Godric's Hollow and place myself as the Secret Keeper. Also, I am allowing myself, Nymphadora Tonks, Hermione Granger, and Remus Lupin full access to this house whenever they wish to enter." A large flash of light rolled off Harry as the wards began to react to him, "Finally, I deny Albus Dumbledore and the entire Order of The Phoenix – not counting those I have already approved of – access to Godric's Hollow. None are allowed into this house unless I myself state otherwise."

Dumbledore was about to say something but a flash of light filled the room, and when it cleared he was gone and Harry was no longer glowing. The inhabitants of Godric's hollow heard a thump out side and walked onto the front porch to see Dumbledore lying in a heap of robes on the sidewalk. Remus, Tonks, and Hermione ran to Dumbledore as Harry wordlessly turned and walked back into the cottage. The trio helped the Headmaster to his feet and quickly turned back to the dwelling to find that it was suddenly gone! In its place was a lot with an abandoned house that appeared to be on the verge of collapse, with a sign saying "SCHEDULED FOR DEMOLITION" on the front.

"Where's the house?" Hemione asked, "Harry allowed us access, so why can't we see it?"

Dumbledore readjusted his glasses before stating, "I'm afraid that is my fault, Ms. Granger. Since I am here and not allowed access, the house will not show itself until I go away." He turned to Tonks and Lupin, "Please talk to Harry and convince him to come see me. I will be waiting in the kitchen at Grimmauld place for him."

Dumbledore nodded to the two adults before disapparating. The abandoned house's front door then changed slowly from a rotting door to a clean oak door, with the rest of the house changing in a similar manner. Harry did not notice any of this, however, since he was watching from the window and, as such, could not see the house. Once he saw Dumbledore disappear he knew his friends were going to charge in and yell at him, so he quickly lit a fire in the fireplace and grabbed some Floo powder that was conveniently placed on a nearby table and threw it into the fire. He stepped into the green flames and stated, "Diagon alley," and his last sight before flying away was Tonks running into the living room and tripping onto a nice suede couch.

_**End Flashback**_

Harry drank from his cup, "When I got here, I talked to Tom and convinced him a snippet of what was going on. He knows I'm running from Dumbledore, but he didn't ask why and sent me in here. I told him to watch out for you after writing in the Journal."

Cho squeezed Harry's hand again and said, "It's alright, Harry. I would have done the same thing." Pausing for a moment, her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "Harry, what's the Order of the Phoenix?"

Harry graced Cho with a lopsided grin, "It's a group Dumbledore started to fight Voldemort. Think of them as the good side's equivalent to Death Eaters."

Cho giggled for a moment as she sat with Harry. A quiet began to engulf the room as Harry's smile faded from his face. "Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me…" Harry began to sing.

Cho pulled Harry into a small embrace, "I know that this day sucks for you right now. Tell you what; why don't you come back to my house and we can hang out there for a while? No one's there, so you don't have to worry about anyone else seeing you. We can't go by Floo since you're not on the access list of our house, but I have a portkey and we can give you clearance when I get there."

Harry looked mischievously at Cho as he pulled away from her, "Cho, are you trying to take me back to your house and seduce me?" Cho began blushing brightly as Harry began to laughing, "I don't think I should go to your house, because your father would have a right fit if he saw me there. After all, you said that he doesn't seem to be fond of me."

Cho recomposed herself before saying, "In that case why don't we walk around Sun Turn Alley? You haven't been into any of the music stores or the food court there, yet."

Harry nodded and the two quickly made their way out of the Leaky cauldron. A short time later, Harry found himself walking through Sun Turn Alley with a pretty 17-year-old girl. He enjoyed looking around the various shops with Cho, although they did avoid Weasley Wizard Wheezes and Harry was constantly on alert for Order members. An hour passed with the couple in this manner which ended when they were sitting outside a store called Frank's Fudge sharing a Chocolate Malt. They were resting from walking so much when Harry heard five pops and saw a small group of Death Eater's apparate at the end of the Alley.

"There he is!" A Death Eater yelled, his voice obviously distorted by some sort of charm. "Grab Harry Potter alive, then we can have fun!"

The Death Eater's quickly made their way towards Harry as all the witches and Wizards began running away in horror, clutching their loved ones as they ran. Harry stood and yelled at Cho, "Quick, activate your portkey and get out of here now! I'll distract them until Aurors or the Order arrives!"

Cho screamed, "No, Harry! Just come with me."

"I can't," Harry replied as he pulled out his wand, "I need to keep them from attacking others."

Harry turned and faced the Death Eater's as they neared. He jumped to the side and began firing stunners and various curses as the Death Eater's spread out and cast shields. Harry then began jerking wildly as he avoided a large barrage of spells. He looked out of the corner of his eyes and saw Cho challenge one Death Eater as he began trying to incapacitate the other four. He seemed successful in keeping the attention of the Death Eater's, but the price for that was a large amount of spells trying to seriously harm him. Harry was glad for the recent training he had with Tonks, since it kept him in shape while he couldn't train for Quidditch. He dodged out of the way of two spells and quickly ducked as he heard someone yell, "_Sectumsempra_!" He looked back and saw that the wall behind him had a large gash in it. Finding inspiration, he swiped at the nearest Death Eater and yelled the same spell, watching with grim satisfaction as the enemy's foot was severed from his body.

He looked in on Cho who managed to use a tray from the Fudge shop as a shield, knocking every spell her enemy shot at her. "Cho, get out of here now!" Harry yelled before dodging a cruciatus curse and firing a _reducto_ at a random Death Eater. One of the Death Eater managed to get his crippled partner out of harm's way and was in the process of repairing his foot when Harry yelled "_Maximus_ _reducto!_" at the pair. They jumped and evaded the super-powered spell. However, the death eater dropped his partner's foot when he jumped away and the reducto completely destroyed the appendage, making the possibility of healing it impossible. The Death Eater, figuring his partner's life was more important, grabbed his comrade's arm and quickly disapparated.

Harry lost track of time as he battled the two remaining Death Eaters, which quickly became three when Harry began attacking the one that was fighting Cho. The three surrounded Harry and began coordinated their curses so Harry had no chance attacking, and spent his whole time dodging and casting shields. Harry was starting to notice a small gap in their pattern and was trying to decide what spell he was going to cast when he suddenly heard someone yell, "Harry!" He turned around to see Tonks running towards him and Remus grab Cho when a spell hit Harry in the back of the head and all he saw was darkness.

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N:** I am evil, but don't hurt me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please be assured that the next chapter will be full of action!


	6. Torture

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all non-OC's are not mine, but the plot and all OC's are. Thanks for listening. I don't own A Clockwork Orange, either.

**A/N:** There will be scenes of torture. You have been warned.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
****Chapter 6: Torture  
****By: Nanio-713**

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, was sitting in the kitchen of number 12 Grimmauld Place wondering how things could've ended so badly on Harry's Birthday. First, he moves Harry to the new Headquarters only to have the boy verbally attack him. Then, he is forcibly removed from the house during a fit of teenage anger. Soon after, Harry is discovered to be in the magical teen district known as Sun Turn Alley. Finally, Harry gets kidnapped by Death Eaters as Order members come to his aid. Now, he has a crying teenage witch and a Hysterical Auror having a verbal match right before him.

As soon as Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks arrived with Cho Chang at Grimmauld place, the young Metamorph began interrogating the teenage witch. She interrogated Cho thoroughly, finding out every detail starting from when Harry contacted her until the moment she and Remus arrived at the scene of the fight. Of course, this did nothing but cause Cho to become nearly hysterical and Tonks to get angrier that she didn't know where Harry was. Remus kept trying to calm Tonks down, but to no avail.

"Tonks," Remus said calmed, "Stop berating the girl! She didn't do anything, and doesn't even know where Harry is! This is getting us nowhere."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed, "We need to wait calmly until our contacts and spies return with information regarding Harry's whereabouts."

Tonks looked at the two men with eyes whose irises looked as if they were glowing red. "I don't care what we need to do, they have Harry! How long do you think they'll let him survive? We need to move now or he'll be killed. If we don't move within the next two hours then the chances of Harry's survival will be next to zero."

Cho's eyes quickly began to water as Remus tried to comfort her and reply, "We don't know that Tonks. It's possible you-know-who is only holding Harry hostage, and possibly try to use him as a bargaining chip. It's not a particularly pleasant thought, but at least I believe that he will survive."

"I do not believe that Voldemort will kill Harry at this time," Dumbledore said. "Harry is far too important right now. I expect that he would either be held hostage, or interrogated for information. If we work quickly, it's completely possible that we would be able to save him."

Tonks still seemed on edge, but Dumbledore was pleased to not that she was not as anxious as she was earlier. Dumbledore said, "Nymphadora, please escort miss Chang upstairs with miss Granger until we can arrange a portkey for miss Chang so that she may go."

Cho looked up at Dumbledore and said, "I have a portkey to transport myself home so it is no problem, Headmaster."

Remus shook his head, "I don't think it would be wise to send you home right away. You should at least stay here until we can get some information about Harry. That way you won't be as worried as you are now. You should go upstairs and talk to Hermione, possibly about the DA since Harry wants to continue the club. It will give you something to preoccupy yourselves with until we get more information."

Cho reluctantly nodded and Tonks began to lead Cho out the room before Dumbledore said, "I think it would be best if I took Miss Chang upstairs so the two of you can take a moment to adjust your thoughts before we continue our conversation."

Dumbledore led Cho out of the room leaving the two adults looking at each other across the room. Remus motioned to one side of the table as he sat down on the other, and Tonks slowly situated herself into the chair opposite him. "Tonks, you need to calm down. I know you've grown close to Harry since your little incident but there is no reason for you to get hysterical. You're acting as if Harry's already dead and that's just making things worse." Remus watched Tonks for a moment. "Tonks, I don't mean to be rude but what's going on with your transformations recently? First, you begin to transform into a more petite woman and now you're practically an Amazon."

Indeed, Tonks had been spending a lot more time in shorter transformations. Now, though, she was standing at six feet tall and incredibly ripped. "I'm angry, Remus. When an emotion is hitting me particularly hard I tend to change to fit my mood."

"And what mood has caused you to look like you were a teenager again until now, Tonks?" Remus' eyebrows rose, "Don't tell me… Harry?"

Tonks rage calmed as a small blush overtook her features, "Remus, Harry means a lot to me. He and I… the Legilimency thing changed us. I care for Harry immensely, but I know that he doesn't need that right now. He needs a family. He thought he found a father figure in Sirius and that was ripped away from him. He's afraid that if he gets closer to you history will repeat himself. Harry needs me to be a sort of sister. We tease the hell out of each other, but I make sure I don't put him on the spot or anything. Besides, he's dating Cho and I've got Alex. I wouldn't attempt anything with Harry at this point because it would make things more complicated. I'm there for Harry one hundred percent, and he needs someone to talk to about things, and I'm fulfilling that capacity and nothing more."

Remus watched Tonks' expression, looking for some sort of falsehood or deception that Occlumency can't hide. Having animalistic senses were probably the only good thing that Lupin inherited from his Lycanthropy, after all. Satisfied with his findings, Remus said, "Just be careful with Harry when he returns, Tonks. And make no mistake; Harry will return safely."

Tonks nodded and the two sat in the kitchen in silence for what felt like an hour, but was probably a considerably less amount of time. Remus stood and began to make tea, and by the time he was pulling out cups Dumbledore returned with the Hogwarts potion master, Severus Snape.

Remus served everyone in the room a cup as Dumbledore said, "Well, now that you're here, Severus, we can sit down and figure out what has happened to Harry."

Tonks took a sip of tea and put the cup down with shaky fingers as she asked, "Is he alright?"

Snape paused for a moment before saying "The boy is alive, thankfully, but he is definitely not alright." Dumbledore looked at Snape with open curiosity as the greasy-haired man continued. "It is no secret that Potter is in our possession. At this very moment I'm sure the Dark Lord is hearing numerous pleas from death Eaters for the honor of killing him. However, he refuses to tell anyone where he's holding the boy. All the Dark Lord is saying right now is that he's extracting information from him through two high-ranking Death Eaters, although he won't say who they are. There are currently rumors going around that He Who Must Not Be Named broke several Death Eaters out of Prison to interrogate the boy."

"What information do they want from Harry? Is there any way of discovering Harry's location?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape sipped on his tea, "They most likely want names of spies and members of the Order from Harry, as well as the full prophecy. It's not much, but that's all the Death Eaters expect you to have shared with him. As for finding his whereabouts… no, there is no possible way at this time. The Dark Lord refuses for anyone to see Potter until after he is broken. If we wait a few days I can spot who seems to be gone for large periods of time, and that will tell us who is torturing him. Then all it will take is some chit chat, a small bribe, and a tracking charm to get myself and some Order members to his location. Until then, though, there is no way for us to locate Harry."

The four Order members sat silently in the kitchen of Grimmauld place, silently praying for the well being of the Wizarding world's savior.

_**

* * *

**_

Harry slowly regained consciousness, his mind groggy and his head feeling as if it was stuffed with cotton. Harry noticed that his Occlumency shields were still up and untouched, so he wasn't worried about anyone gleaming anything while he was unconscious. He tried to move his arms only to find that they were chained to the wall behind him, leaving his hands upright and spread wide. His legs were also shackled, but he was able to stand with them on. Feeling the slack on the chains, Harry figured that if he were punched of his feet, the chains would be able to hold him relatively upright. Preoccupied with checking his restraints, he did not notice the hand fly towards him and connect with his temple until it was too late. Harry slammed into the wall hard as he recoiled from the punch but he recovered quickly. He spread his legs slightly to steady himself, although they could not move more than a foot or so apart, and looked at his captors. Both were rather tall compared to the 5'6.5" boy, and were wearing Black robes. One stood with Platinum Blond hair and aristocratic features, while the other had lanky dark hair and a long nose and ears. Harry immediately recognized both as Lucius Malfoy and Rudolphus Lestrange.

Harry sneered, "Well, well, well. Look who we have here, my dear brothers. Am I really viddying the two of you on your oddy knocky, without your master? You have a pair of strong rookers, my dear brother, but you haven't caused my red red krovvy to drip drip drip down my Gulliver."

"The boy must be delirious," Rudolphus said, "He's babbling nonsense. Let me knock him around a bit to beat some sense into him."

"Of course you wouldn't recognize anything I say, Lestrange." Harry spat, "You don't read Muggle literature. How are my two favorite Death Eaters, anyway? Azkaban has obviously treated you well. How long has it been since Voldemort broke you out?"

Lucius hissed, "You should show manners to the Dark Lord, Potter, and not sully his name with your lips. He has brought us here, along with a few Dementor's, on a special assignment. We're here to teach you how low on the food chain you are."

Rudolphus moved to lean back and began to twirl a wand Harry recognized as his own. "Exactly, we're here to crack open that miniscule head of yours. The dark Lord specifically chose us for this honor. Oh, I shall enjoy breaking you with your own wand, since mine was destroyed by the ministry."

Harry sneered, "So does that mean that the two of you have to share a wand? How pathetic!"

Lucius sneered as he pulled a wand from his robes, "Who said anything about me not having a wand? _CRUCIO!_"

Harry jerked as a wave of pain overwhelmed his senses. He quickly built his mental barriers in an unsuccessful attempt to escape the pain. He felt the curse over stimulate his nerves and send pure pain directly into his mind. Lucius held the curse for a moment longer before lifting it and leaving the boy breathless. "Good job, Potter. You managed not to cry out. Please be aware that I will not give you that convenience again. What we want from you is simple: You will tell us who is working for Dumbledore, who is spying on the Dark Lord for the old fool, and where are all the secret locations Dumbledore is using as bases for his resistance group are located. Once you concede all of this information, we will release you into the sweet embrace of death, but not before. Until you tell us what we want to know Rudolphus and I will make every breath you take pure torture."

"You're breath is already doing that," Harry said. "What makes you think I know anything? Dumbledore isn't the most straightforward person, you know."

Lucius smiled, "Our sources tell us that Dumbledore talks to you a lot in private. Even if you don't know much, it is impossible for you not to know at least one name unless you're denser than a fortified wall."

Harry watched the two men as he sensed a mental probe coming from Lucius. Before the probe reached Harry he brought up his barriers full force. He noticed with a detached amusement that Lucius didn't have half the strength of Tonks, and easily held Lucius of as He sent his own probe at Lucius. HE was not gentle as he slammed his probe through Lucius' shields, reached his memories and sent a burst of magic to bypass them. He grinned as he saw the fruits of his knowledge before him as he sensed Lucius' whole body through his nervous system. He quickly found the spot in Lucius' mind that handled pain and stimulated it heavily. Lucius began to twitch as Harry sent waves of pain through Lucius' body. He manipulated the man's mind so his breathing became shallower and Lucius felt as if he was on fire. Rudolphus, seeing Lucius in such a state, cast the Cruciatus at Harry to make the boy release the older man. Harry felt the spell begin to affect him but due to the fact that He was mentally linked to Lucius, he felt some of the curse leak into Lucius. He gritted his teeth as he bared the pain and noticed, almost in a detached manner, that the Cruciatus seemed to travel through his nervous system. Experimenting with this newfound knowledge, he used his Occlumency to shut down his nervous system and sent the magic of the Cruciatus through his link and into Malfoy. Lucius began to convulse heavily and Rudolphus released the spell quickly once he noticed Malfoy squirming on the floor. Harry then released the mind of the whimpering Death Eater and reactivated his nervous system.

Lucius stayed on the floor for a few minutes before feeling rejuvenated enough to stand. He looked at Harry with little more than pure, unadulterated loathing in his eyes. "You…" He wheezed, "You… will pay… for that! You've been training and I was unprepared. I'll never make that mistake again!"

Harry grinned, "Are you sure about that Lucius? After all, we've only begun to introduce ourselves. You never know when I might suddenly take over your body and make you rape your partner over there."

Lucius scowled, "You pulled a trick shot potter! Now that I know about your Legilimency I'll be able to counter it more efficiently. You'll never get that kind of shot again."

Rudolphus scowled, "Enough chit-chat, let me have another go at him. He can't resist the Cruciatus all day."

"No, Rudolphus, he cannot resist it all day. However, don't you think we should have a bit of fun with him first?"

"No I don't. _CRUCIO!_"

Harry twitched in agony and tried to shut down his nervous system only to find that the curse that was being cast on him over stimulated his nerves to the point were they could not be completely shut down. He blocked off some of the channels to his mind, but could not completely stop the pain. Nevertheless, he was able to lessen the pain to a more bearable level. Harry gritted his teeth and withstood the pain stoically for about five minutes before Lestrange released the spell. "I must say that I'm somewhat impressed. The boy was able to avoid screaming this entire time. Maybe if you join in, Lucius, we can get some real cries of agony out of him."

And so began the torture. Lucius and Rudolphus took turns casting the Cruciatus curse at Harry in a vain attempt to make him scream. Harry refused to comply with that particular wish, however, and while he occasionally grunted or whimpered slightly, he did not scream once. After an hour or so of taking turns, Rudolphus and Lucius began casting the curse at the same time. Harry was fortunate that he was able to dull his senses with Occlumency because, even with his senses dampened, the joint Cruciatus sent waves of pain so powerful that he knew he would have instantly broken if he was hit full force by the joint attack. The feel of hot knives traveling through his veins and acid crawling all over his skin filled his mind, but somehow Harry managed not to scream. Lucius and Rudolphus held it for a moment longer before releasing the spell out of fear for his sanity. Harry slumped over, breathing raggedly as sweat dripped off his brow.

"I must give you credit Potter," Lucius stated. "You are tougher than I have given you credit for so far. This is good news for us since that means we will have a lot more fun breaking you."

Rudolphus snickered as he moved across the room. Now that he wasn't being yelled at and tortured Harry was able too look around. It appeared to be a standard dungeon: brick walls moist and growing some sort of mold, no windows, and one round table with a black bag in the middle of the room. The room was rather large, and could possibly be used as a training room of some kind if anyone bothered to clean it. Rudolphus moved by the table and looked inside the bag, shuffling through its contents. He then removed two vials with potions and what looked like two doctor's scalpels. He passed a scalpel to Lucius and walked up to Harry holding the other. "You've been nothing but a nuisance to me, my comrades, and my Lord. For that you will pay!" He yelled before slashing Harry's chest once. Harry flinched for a moment and looked down at himself to see a slightly sloping cut run from just above his left nipple to his shoulder. The cut looked shallow, but blood was slowly creeping out of the wound. But Rudolphus wasn't done.

The sadistic Death Eater took his time. He worked with a slow, almost artistic zeal as he sliced perfectly even and matching wounds along Harry's chest. He then repeated the process to his right side. He absently asked Lucius if they could turn Harry around but the man shook his head and said, "No we cannot, Rudolphus. The boy has proven that he has advanced in his Occlumency and Legilimency training. Who knows what else he knows? He could have been training in Muggle dueling. No, I'd rather not risk his possibly injuring us, however slight it would be. I think he's fine exactly where he is."

Rudolphus frowned, but shrugged slightly before unsheathing Harry's wand and healing him. Harry's wounds all closed, leaving his chest bloody but unscarred from his recent session. Rudolphus cast a cleaning spell to remove the blood and noticed several old but visible scars on his chest. He looked at Harry with open curiosity and Harry smirked at him, "You aren't the first person who's ever wanted to inflict pain upon me, Rudolphus."

The man frowned and said, "Lucius, who was allowed near our toy in the past? Surely he was not captured before this, and those scars do not look like they could've come from Quidditch or any creatures I know. They look like the shoddy work of an amateur sadist, not like the craft of any in Voldemort's inner circle."

Harry grinned slightly. Even though he hated Rudolphus at the moment, he did enjoy hearing the man insult his uncle Vernon and his cousin Dudley. Harry leaned as far as his restraints allowed before snarling, "These wounds were put upon me at a young age, Lestrange, so that I may learn quickly how to block out anything you could give me. They may look like shoddy work to you, but when you're six-years-old it's a lot more affective than one would imagine. After all, if one could be able to handle this at a young age they could be able to withstand the Cruciatus over time, correct? That training is working incredible well right now, I might add."

Rudolphus snarled and slashed at Harry's face with the scalpel. Harry quickly leaned out of the blade's way and attacked Rudolphus quickly with a mental probe. In the Death Eater's rage his defenses were weakened and Harry wasted no time shifting through his mind. He split his attention to shifting through memories of their location and holding certain nerves to keep Rudolphus immobilized. Unfortunately, he did not spend much time in the man's mind before Lucius ran forward and punched Harry in the temple again. With his attention diverted, Rudolphus quickly threw Harry out of his mind and rebuilt his defenses. Harry was stunned for a moment but kept his Occlumency shields up as he reoriented himself. Rudolphus, even angrier than previously, began slashing at Harry's chest with a renewed zeal, slashing intricate patterns and various designs into the boy's chest and stomach. His Blade began moving towards Harry's trousers and Harry yelled, "Think about it and I won't hesitate to break back in there and burn out your mind! You're angry enough that I can easily slam through those pitiful shields you have right now and rip everything in there to shreds before Lucius can do anything!"

Rudolphus stopped, his temporary rage-filled high thwarted for the moment by logical thought. He quickly stepped away from Harry and healed him. A scowl etched itself perfectly on his face as he said, "Do as you please, Lucius. I can get no further while I'm in this mood, and you can at least hold the boy off for now. When I calm down, though, you're privates are going into a little jar where all the Death Eaters can see and laugh as I tell them about how I turned Harry Potter into Harriet Potter."

With that said, Lucius took over. While Lucius was not necessarily an artist, he did have a certain flair for carving into flesh. He switched between fast strokes and slow ones, as well as alternating between various degrees of depth when it came to his cuts. Harry mentally admitted that Lucius was definitely good at this particular method, yet he refused to cream or cry out in any way. He worked in this manner for about an hour, periodically healing him and starting over, before they took a break and gave Harry one of the potions. Harry refused to drink it for a moment, but relented once the taste of it touched his lips. He recognized the taste of blood-replenishing potion since it tasted just like its name, and silently thanked Hermione for making him study for Potions class. Harry knew that this was the only potion known to have this particular taste, and it was a complicated enough potion that any deviation from the recipe and instructions guaranteed that it would be useless, so he knew that it wasn't poisoned. After he drank the potion, Rudolphus returned to resume the torture. He continued to draw small caricatures and doodles on Harry's body, although he made sure to stay above the boy's belly button. They both noticed that Harry was not going to scream, however, so they both ended the session rather quickly.

Harry, dripping with sweat and sporting three new scars on his chest despite the constant healing spells, smirked at the men before saying, "What? Is that all? Aww, I was hoping we could have more fun. Maybe pull out a few blood quills and the two of you could practice slicing your signatures into my chest."

Lucius rolled his eyes, "Very amusing Mr. Potter, but you know as well as we do that the blood quill will do more harm to us than you. No, we will have a special treat for you tomorrow. For now, though, we'll just give you a nutrition potion before leaving you here to rot for a day or two. After all, we cannot have you dying of malnourishment while in our care, correct?"

Lucius force fed Harry the last potion in his possession before leaving the room with Rudolphus, who was staring at Harry in what Harry perceived to be pure hatred. They closed the door, leaving Harry alone in a dark, damp cell.

_**

* * *

**_

They left Harry alone in the cell for two days. At least, Harry assumed two days had passed since the two Death Eaters last stepped into the room. The day repeated in a similar manner. This time, the two men used Bludger's bats to inflict massive amounts of damage upon Harry's body. They tried to place a particularly large amount of attention to his head to break down his Occlumency shields, but after the fourth attempt at burning out Lucius' mind the duo decided that it wasn't worth the hassle. The days proceeded monotonously in this manner: First, they'd torture Harry in a new way, and then Harry would teach them where he perceived their limits would be, and they would ask him for information while he either remained silent or he would make a small insult. They attempted various implements of torture with relatively little success: They tried burning him with magic, cutting with salt and lemons, another attempt at the Cruciatus curse, Dunking his feet in iced water for large periods of time (that resulted in Harry slamming at the two men's mental shields until they decided it wasn't worth the hassle), bludgeoning curses, and a swarm of fire ants under the Imperius curse. It was after six more days that Harry began singing the Hogwarts school anthem that Lucius and Rudolphus began to feel pushed to their painful limit in regards to that boy.

Rudolphus Lestrange paced in the small sitting room of the apartments Voldemort gave them while torturing Harry Potter. He was breathing hard and his arm was twitching slightly as he said, "The boy was not supposed to be able to last this long without screaming. It's unnatural, don't you know that? It's bloody unnatural that he can go so long without so much as one shout." He shook his twitching hand, "Gallopin' Gorgons, where did he get mental defenses like that? We never received enough training to get that good! I swear he did something to my head yesterday. I haven't been able to stop twitching."

Lucius Malfoy rubbed his temples with one hand, "He did nothing to your mind. I checked your head myself, and that twitch is little more than your nerves getting to you. You're just stressed. If you just relax and take a seat the hand twitching will go away eventually."

Rudolphus sat down, but he looked far from relaxed. "Lucius," he spat, "What are we going to do? The Dark Lord is beginning to get impatient. I think he suspects that we've gotten nowhere and I don't want to admit that we've messed up this mission. The Dark Lord does not like it when his followers fail him."

Lucius leaned back in his chair and continued rubbing his temples, "I know that better than you ever could. We may be over our heads right now unless we do something quickly."

"But what can we do? The boy slams through our minds as if they were putty before we can really get to work on him, and there's nothing we can do to stop him! We've tried everything we can think of so far and he continues to thwart every attempt we have. Hell, we've broken dozens of people before this, even B-"

"Rudolphus! Calm yourself before you break something with accidental magic like some randy teenage boy. In my opinion, Harry's tactics leave us with only one option; we'll have to bring in a third party. One that is efficient in both torture and Occlumency."

"Who can we trust to bring in here for that?" Rudolphus slumped into his chair and watched as Lucius raised an eyebrow at him. "No," he practically screeched, "You can't mean her? Hell, I can barely stand to be around her under normal circumstances! Why do you think I spend so little time around her, or why we never had kids before you and I–"

"Shut up this instant and listen to me," Lucius barked. "She has been trained by the very best, and is widely known as the most sadistic and brutal interrogator out of the whole lot. Plus, Voldemort himself trained her to be the best at Occlumency of the entire inner circle. She is the only one who can break Potter, if he can be broken at all. If she cannot win against him, then there is little more that we can do at this point. If she fails, then we can just blame everything on her and Voldemort can kill the boy immediately. At that point any information that could possibly be gleamed from Potter's head won't be worth it, understood?"

Rudolphus Lestrange looked at his comrade for a brief period of time before nodding and fully collapsing into his chair. He knew that they just gave up, and prayed that Bellatrix Lestrange will have a better chance at breaking Harry than they did.


	7. Life and Death

**Disclaimer:** After spending Several months in a mental institure, I am now fairly certain that I am not J.K. Rowling and, as such, I do not own Harry Potter. I'm just a guy who had an idea for a story, with a few OC's as well.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
****Chapter 7: Life and Death  
****By: Nanio-713**

Harry was standing alone in the cold, dank, dark dungeon doing small stretches to alleviate his aching muscles. _It is bad enough they're torturing me,_ Harry mused, b_ut you would figure that I'd be allowed to sit down a bit. Well, Death Eaters have never been known for being nice or compassionate so I don't know why I'm surprised. Still, spending a little over a week in this position does tend to wear on one's nerves._ Harry mused on the use of various possible tactics often used during torture to annoy the victims when he heard the door open. He began to grin as he said, "Well, you're here early today. I usually get a full eight hours alone before you come back to talk to me. I'm touched that you enjoy spending so much time with me."

His grin faltered slightly once he saw that Rudolphus and Lucius were not alone. The two Death Eaters were followed by a woman wearing a pair of dark red pants with a pair of matching boots and vest, all of which were leather. The clothing did not show any cleavage, but it did hug her voluptuous figure nicely. Her robes were loose, making it obvious that they were soon going to be discarded. He looked at her face to see an ivory colored face, full red lips, eyes as dark as black-holes, thin eyebrows, and hair so long it reached her lower back in waves. Harry's face turned to stone, "Very nice to meet you again, Mrs. Lestrange."

Bellatrix raised an inquiring eyebrow as Harry raised his mental shields, "I must admit some surprise that the feeling is mutual, Mr. Potter. You are looking in surprisingly good health."

"Your husband and Mr. Malfoy heal me after they're done with their exploits."

"Yes, but one would've expected more scars to remain visible besides…" Bellatrix squinted slightly, "five new scars." She turned to the Lucius and Rudolphus, who have been ignored up to this point. "What tactics have you used so far on him? How effective were they?"

Rudolphus stared at Bellatrix with almost pure contempt as Lucius described their unsuccessful attempts at breaking Harry. Bellatrix listened with professionalism and immediately turned back to Harry once the report was done. "Well, I must admit that you've handled yourself exceptionally well. However, you will not find my treatment to be as easy my husband's," Bella spat the last word out with contempt. "I am a much more proficient Occlumens, which means that you will not break into my mind as you did with your… previous torturers."

Harry paused for a moment before extending his mental awareness. Harry loved this little trick and often associated it with the Muggle radar since this trick allows him to sense the mental strength of those around him without actually connecting to anyone's mind. If one had no training in mental defense, a talented Legilimens could even read your thoughts in this manner. Harry surveyed the defenses of his new enemy to find that she had a surprisingly powerful shield. He doubted that she was stronger than him but, like his own comparison to Tonks, he guessed that the difference in strength was so small it was practically negligible. Harry smirked as he said, "No, with you in this little game now I'm sure these proceedings will get much more interesting. Are you going to start the activities today, or will those two gits over there warm me up for you?"

Bellatrix smiled and shrugged off her robes. "Actually, this session will be just you and me. These two gentlemen will be leaving right now."

Rudolphus shook his head. "No, we're staying right here and watching everything you do, especially if he starts giving out information. We must report anything he says to the Dark Lord personally."

Bellatrix didn't face away from Harry as she said, "I will tell you everything the boy says, and you can then tell it to our Master."

"I think not, my beloved." Bellatrix turned to glare at her husband as he said, "We cannot have you making a fool of us in front of our Master, so we will stay here and hear everything from the boy's lips personally. You know better than to question us, so get to work."

Harry was surprised when, contrary to what he expected Bellatrix to do, the woman closed her eyes and breathed deeply before grabbing her wand and facing Harry. Then, she pointed her wand at him and cast a non-verbal spell at Harry. The spell was dark brown and hit Harry square in the chest. Harry suddenly felt every muscle in his body tense. His arms tightened, his buttock clenched, his back became rigid, and he began to breathe heavily since his lungs became less cooperative. Even his genitals tensed and began to act as if he was aroused and a headache formed because of the instantaneous rush of blood to his lower regions. Harry felt a brief instant of panic before his Occlumency training kicked in and he calmed himself. He watched Bellatrix as he dealt with the strange sensation and watched as his mind was surrounded by a mental field. He realized that Bellatrix extended her mental awareness to include Harry and noted that Lucius and Rudolphus were not included in the field. He watched as Bellatrix lowered her outer shields to expose her conscious mind. **_There, _**he heard her think. **_Now we can speak in peace. Are you comfortable, Mr. Potter?_**

Harry was momentarily surprised before replying, _I am most comfortable, yes. I will admit to being surprised at this current change in events, Mrs. Lestrange. Why are you talking to me in this manner?_

**_Harry, – May I call you Harry? – We are linked by the mind right now. With such intimate contact I will not mind if you call me Bellatrix._** Harry nodded for a moment before Bellatrix openly thought, **_I am talking to you like this because I would prefer to be alone when torturing a victim, and if I cannot be alone then I would rather be the only one able to hear you when you snap and begin telling me everything you know._**

Harry smiled at Bellatrix. _Do you really think making me tenser than a girl at a rapist convention would make me give up all my secrets? Oh Bellatrix, what do you really have planned?_

**_I never said that this was going to break you. I cast that hex to simply get on your nerves for a while. I'll leave that on you for a while longer before slicing away at your skin. You'll see that being cut while tense hurts a lot more and bleeds less. Plus, I want to see how a body reacts to burns while in the state you are in, so I think I'll use some hot pokers as well. I know you've been burned and cut before, but my being a better Legilimens means that you cannot block me when I reach the more sensitive areas of your body._** She looked at the rather large tent that has formed in his pants and sighed, **_it will be such a waste to harm such a wonderful specimen such as you but that, as they say, is out of my hands. Breaking you is my job, in the end, and I cannot do it without wounding your… ego._**

Harry's conversation with Bellatrix was interrupted when he suddenly heard Rudolphus bark, "Well, are you going to start or stare at the boy all day? If this one spell is all you've planned than I don't see why we brought you here at all! I should've known you would be useless here. Unless, of course, we wanted you on your knees before us while we worked on breaking Harry."

Lucius said, "Rudolphus, please shut up!"

Bellatrix turned to Rudolphus and snapped, "Silence, you miserable piece of bat droppings! I am doing something too subtle for you to wrap your silly little mind around so I would appreciate it if you would just shut up!"

Rudolphus chuckled softly as he pointed his wand at Harry, "Bellatrix, that was cute but I do think you should leave a job like this to the men. We asked for your help, and you've now given it: You've tensed his whole body to allow the Cruciatus to be more effective, and now all Lucius and I have to do is keep him under the Cruciatus long enough for him to break while you hold off the boy's Legilimency. Lucius and I will take over this session starting now. _CRUCIO!_"

Harry jerked as the first curse hit him. Lucius' curse followed soon after, although the man was shaking his head and muttering under his breath. Bellatrix glared at her husband and stepped away from the two men and sat down on the circular table to watch the struggle. Harry quickly reinforced his Occlumency shields with his entire mind, abandoning any thought of using Legilimency because of the presence of Bellatrix Lestrange. His mouth opened and released an inaudible scream as he felt his muscles burn like they were covered in acid, boiling and melting them, due to the spell Bellatrix cast on him earlier. His headache suddenly felt like ten migraines pulsing through his head and his veins felt like they were carrying rusty knifes throughout his body. His skin burned as if a hot fire poker was being rubbed over his entire body, and he began fighting insanely in an attempt to break free from his bonds. Harry felt this agonizing pain course through his body for an untold amount of time, feeling as if he was going to go insane in any minute. Harry thought he was going to implode from the pressure strangling his body until…

Bellatrix gasped in alarm when she saw Harry's eyes open wide, darting around like some wild beast looking to devour something whole. Harry's eyes rested on his wand and he yelled, "_Accio_ _wand!_" His wand flew out of Rudolphus' hand and a wave of air slammed into Lucius, knocking the man almost across the room, nearly hitting Bellatrix as he flew past. Bellatrix stood as Rudolphus began to float in the air towards Harry. Rudolphus tried to move but found himself immobilized as his face stopped about one foot away from Harry's. He looked in the boy's face, seeing the insanity in the boy's eyes. They were not the eyes of the boy he's been torturing for roughly the past week – far from it, actually- as they looked like the eyes of an animal: primal, predatory, and merciless. His expression darkened until Harry himself appeared to be death incarnate. Suddenly Harry screamed, causing Rudolphus to scream and Bellatrix's eyes to widen at the scene before her. Rudolphus began to squirm as Harry screamed, and his limbs began rapidly twisting and cracking at odd angles. The bones in his arms cracked as they flailed in odd angles, and the occasional snap could be heard as a part of Rudolphus' body was twisted into an unnatural angle. His body seemed to crush into itself as he moved into a fetal position and he began to twirl as his body crushed in on itself. Bellatrix, realizing that her husband was dead and Harry was distracted with what he was doing to the man's body, shot a powerful stunner at Harry just to see a bright flash and a ward surround himself and Rudolphus' body. She ducked as her stunner rebound towards her and watched the crushed form of Rudolphus Lestrange fall to the ground as Harry slowly ceased his screaming and slumped towards the floor, unconscious and being held up only by his bonds. Bellatrix noticed absently that Lucius stood and moved himself next to her, watching the now deformed body at Harry's feet slowly ooze blood onto the dungeon floor. The blood reached the barrier placed by Harry and began to pool, confirming Lucius' thought that nothing can pass through said barrier.

Lucius sighed and said, "You were a stupid man, Rudolphus. We were supposed to let Bellatrix handle the boy, but you had to prove that you were the master, and no one else beside our Lord can take Potter to task. Well, you've just been taught that you are only a mortal in the largest sense."

Bellatrix snorted, "Lucius, The man was just taught that if you push a fatigued and angry wizard too far his magic reacts violently. If he'd have let me do what you asked of me, I could have broken this boy by the end of the week for you. I would have taken him to the precarious edge between sanity and madness in order for you to get your answers, then we would have handed him over to our Lord for judgment. Instead, we just made Harry a liability. Now we have to inform the Dark Lord that Harry's more trouble than he's work and needs to be killed immediately."

"No," Lucius asked, "He can still be broken. First, we need to find out how powerful this barrier is. If we cannot break the barrier, then maybe we can use the body to cause enough guilt that he breaks anyway. Regardless, the boy has been through enough suffering here to be on his last leg when he comes to. You and I can finish this mission now and take all the credit for breaking Harry instead of giving it all to Rudolphus."

Bellatrix paused for a moment before nodding. She moved out the way as Lucius began casting various spells and charms meant to test the barrier's strength and see if there are any weak points. He worked slowly, testing each part with slightly stronger curses and jinxes, attempting to shatter the barrier. Bellatrix watched the barrier as Lucius worked, memorizing how it looked and referencing all the wards that she knew. The barrier was transparent, colors flicked across various parts of its limits to let her know how large the barrier was. It reminded Bellatrix of those bubbles she saw Muggleborn children play with when they return from the Muggle world. She snickered slightly of the irony that the most powerful barrier she had ever seen someone cast reminded her of a Muggle toy, especially since she worked in a group that saw Muggles as lesser life forms. She watched as Lucius' spells became stronger and stronger, going from a stunner, to a bludgeoning curse, then to various dark spells. Finally, in frustration, he cast a Cruciatus at the barrier to break it only to see it hit the barrier and stop. The spell forced itself against the barrier for a brief period of time before bouncing back towards its caster. Lucius quickly dodged the Cruciatus and spoke as he stood up. "That's it, the boy has signed his death warrant. The only thing that I think could force itself through that barrier is the _A-K_, and the Dark lord wants him alive so we'll either have to break the boy's mind with word games or call him here to kill Potter now."

"I think I can break Potter, but I will need one thing from you." She watched Lucius as he paused for a moment before nodding. "I'm going to need to be alone with him. If you want my mind games to work, then I need total privacy. He'd only try to get the two of us at each other's throats if we're here together regardless of how emotionally and mentally fatigued he is. If I'm here alone than he has no one to distract me with."

Lucius nodded as he idly twirled his wand between his fingers. "I'll give you until next Wednesday. That's 7 days before I tell our Lord. If you need me I'll be in my personal chambers. You'll probably only see me when I'm eating unless you need my help. This is now your project, not mine. I gave it up when I called you in to break him." He walked to the door and began to step out of the dungeon before pausing and saying, "It wasn't my choice, Bellatrix. I didn't originally want to be involved, but it was necessary to show my loyalty to our lord."

"You don't feel any regret or remorse for your actions," Bellatrix replied. "However, that's all in the past now. There's no point crying over spilt potion, so just leave me to destroy the boy's mind. After all, who better to destroy someone's mind than one who has had their mind destroyed before?"

_**

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**_

Bellatrix waited for nearly three hours before Harry came to. By that time the body at his feet was beginning to let off a small odor. Harry raised his head as if in a daze before looking back down and seeing the twisted mockery of a human body at his feet. A demented smirk graced Harry's face for a moment before going blank and he raised his head towards Bellatrix. He watched her for a moment before saying, "I guess you got all of your information while I was unconscious. How long before Voldemort comes to kill me? Why am I surrounded by a ward, shackled to a wall, _and_ have a dead body at my feet?"

Bellatrix concealed her flinch at hearing the Dark Lord's name by hopping from her perch on the table and said, "You created the barrier yourself after going insane from my now dead husband and Lucius' attack. You killed my husband in a rather impressive feat of wandless magic and we can't get through the barrier to remove the corpse without killing you. The barrier prevents any Legilimency from being able to cross your barrier, so I haven't been able to receive any information from you. Trust me; I would have raped your mind if it wasn't for this barrier."

Silence reigned between the prisoner and torturer before Harry asked, "So where did Lucius go?"

"He's been dismissed and now I'm the one who has to deal with you," Bellatrix replied. "So, do you remember killing Rudolphus? I know you remember, and if you don't then you can easily use your Occlumency to remember. Did you enjoy it? Do you want to do it again?"

She expected Harry to lash out or become angry, but instead he became quiet. Sighing, Harry said, "I remember now, thanks to my Occlumency. No, I'm not sad. He was an evil, sadistic person and it was his time to move onto the other side. If I hadn't sent him along, then it would've been something else. Either way, he was meant to die today."

"What makes you say that, Potter? How do you know that my husband was fated to die today? Why wouldn't he have died from some disease, old age, or before he was released from Azkaban? Surely you don't think of yourself as a bringer of death? Or have you been planning on killing Rudolphus?" Bellatrix smiled wickedly, "Yes, you seem to have become more accustomed to murder. First you cause the death of your godfather, and now you intentionally killed my Husband."

Harry's face remained completely blank, "I don't know how I know that Rudolphus was supposed to die today. Maybe I have some ability with seeing, or maybe I was planning this. I don't know and I don't care. All I know is that he's supposed to be dead and there was nothing anyone could do about it. It's the same thing with Sirius. He was not meant for this world anymore, and I've accepted his passing. Have you, Mrs. Lestrange? Or are you Ms. Lestrange now?"

**_Fuck,_** Bellatrix thought, **_he doesn't seem to be the least bit affected by Rudolphus' murder or his torture!_** She folded her hands across her chest and said, "This is the Wizarding world, Mr. Potter, and as such I go back to my maiden name of Black. I have accepted Sirius' death since before I killed him."

"I somehow doubt that, Ms. Black. I saw you when you were fighting him and you did not shoot a single spell that could have killed him. If you had accepted his death at that time you would have fired spells that would have cut, maimed, or otherwise done permanent damage to him."

"Like you did to that Death Eater in Diagon Alley?" Bellatrix quipped.

Harry chuckled, "I almost forgot about that. Whose foot did I cut off, anyway? They're probably still peeved that I made sure they'll never walk with both legs whole again."

She smiled, "I believe you know the man, since he specifically asked to capture you. His name was Nicholas Gibbon, and he was the old representative for the Potter seat until you booted him out. He was a but upset with you after the Dark Lord finished torturing him for failure, and wanted you as a trophy to bring himself back into his good graces."

Harry smirked, "His name is Nicholas _Gibbon_? I thought his name was Gibbons." Harry shrugged, "One letter doesn't matter anyway. He shouldn't have shown me that dangerous spell if he didn't want it thrown back at him. There's a reason you can cast spells non-verbally, as you have shown when you took over this little party of ours. So what happens now?"

Bellatrix paused, "Why do you fight for the light? What is your motivation for protecting those who bounce from worshipping you to shunning you?"

"I don't fight for the entire Wizarding world. They're little more than flocks of sheep willing to be lead whoever is in charge. No, I fight for my friends and for my parents who were killed by the half-blood bastard named Tom Riddle who is also known as Voldemort."

"Stop defiling my master by calling him a half-blood!" Bellatrix snapped, "He is the direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin, one of the purest lines in the world."

"Riddle had a witch for a mother and a Muggle for a father, which is why we had to go to a _Muggle_ cemetery for Voldemort to be resurrected. He needed bone of the father, so they had to dig up a piece of his Muggle father's corpse. Ask Pettigrew, he was there when Voldemort was resurrected. He heard your Lord say that his father was a Muggle."

Bellatrix held back her temper and calmed herself before switching subjects, "Your friends can be placed into the sheep category as well. I know that they've all turned their backs on you at one point in your life for something akin to rumor, jealousy, or a blind belief. Even Dumbledore had forsaken you in your 5th year. Why do you fight for those who turn their back to you?"

"Dumbledore is a manipulative bastard who was scared to be near me," Harry replied. "He turned his back on me to protect himself against Voldemort and I never said I was fighting for him. I'm fighting for my friends: Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Cho, Tonks, and Remus. You're more than well aware that they have all stuck by my side. I've overlooked any time they turned their back on me because we're all young and make mistakes. Tonks and Lupin haven't turned on me yet, and they have shown me true loyalty. I can't leave the fight knowing what Voldemort will do to them, so I will destroy all of you in order to make the world safer for them. Once that's done I don't care what happens to the Wizarding world." He took a breath and watched Bellatrix for a moment before asking, "Why do you fight for Voldemort? Don't tell me you hate Muggles so much that you're willing to kill every wizard in Britain who disagrees with you without a little more to keep you going."

Bellatrix frowned, "Why I do what I do is none of your business. I fight for the Dark Lord because the Pure-Bloods of this world are the only ones fit to rule the world they have created. Half-Bloods and Mudbloods do not understand our world enough to be able to rule us competently. We are making sure that the lesser members of our society know there place!"

"Said one of the few members of a dying breed," Harry mocked. "Bellatrix, the Pure-Bloods are dying. Within three generations the Pure-Bloods will be outnumbered by Half-Bloods and Muggleborn wizards, and within six generations they will be practically wiped out. If you had to remarry, what are the odds that you'll find a suitable husband that is, at best, not a third cousin once removed? If you had a child, how close to your own blood would he or she be to their intended?"

"There are plenty of foreign Wizards that are Pure-Bloods, Harry. Just because I refuse the lower echelon doesn't mean that I cannot marry someone of pure descent from another country."

Harry shrugged, "That's a temporary solution that will only delay an inevitable outcome. The Pure-Bloods are dying Bella, and the Half-bloods and Muggleborns are here to stay. You cannot kill all the Muggles in the world since there are far too many."

"First, don't call me Bella. Second, I am not saying that they all have to die. I am just saying that they should not learn magic."

"How long do you think the Wizarding world can survive without Muggleborns? If we removed all Muggleborns the Wizarding population in Britain will decrease by almost half. Without Muggleborns and Half-bloods, the entire British Wizard community would be practically nonexistent. You would probably be able to fit every Pure-Blood into Diagon Alley with room to spare!"

Bellatrix huffed, "Why do you care anyway? You yourself have admitted that you do not care about these so-called sheep, so why fight the Death Eaters walking down the street? You could have just left with that girl you were with but you decided to stay. It seems to me that you care a lot more than you let on."

"I felt it was a moral obligation to fight those who want to torture others in plain sight. I know a lot of good people in the Wizarding world, and unfortunately you can't separate them from the flocks of sheep when Death Eaters arrive. So, in order to protect my friends I have to protect the sheep as well. Its only when you attack the specific friends I mentioned earlier that I start paying back in interest."

Bellatrix and Harry watched each other for a while before trading idle banter about the reasons they fight for their prospective sides. It sounded a bit repetitive to Harry after a while, but he expected that to happen and quickly accepted it. The next day passed in a similar manner: First he was asked about why he followed on Dumbledore's side, and he retorted with a similar question about Voldemort. Every once in a while, she asked about spies and traitors to get Harry to admit a name, but Harry quickly retorted by asking Bella a similar question.

Bellatrix admitted that she enjoyed the banter, although it was wearing on her nerves. The boy ignored the body at his feet, as well as the stench. He acted as if there was no dried blood attached to his feet, and that the Barrier standing between the two was non-existent. However, with another day gone she knew she only had six days to go.

Harry felt exhausted, but held himself strong in front of Bellatrix. The foul odor of death was almost overwhelming at first, but Harry quickly learned to block out the smell. The blood on his feet made them itch, and often caused a surge of guilt whenever he tried to scrape it off by rubbing his feet on his leg. He was, after all, the reason that blood was there in the first place. He was beginning to feel small hunger pains, yet he knew they wouldn't bother him for another couple of days since he was used to being starved by the Dursley's. His conversations with Bellatrix were fun because he knew that she was becoming unnerved by his statements.

The Third day was incredibly exhausting for the pair. Bellatrix walked into Harry's chamber wearing thick brown robes and a stern expression on her face. Then the both stared each other down for almost an hour, with neither saying a word. Then, they began debating heatedly about the importance of Wizarding bloodlines, which were controlling what aspect of the Wizarding world, and how the Bloodlines affected every aspect of the Wizarding world. Harry scored a few points in his favor when he explained how most of the Witches and Wizards in power were either Half-Bloods or at least unbiased in their opinions. However, Bellatrix upset him greatly when she pointed out how the key positions in the Government, the Business world, and entertainment were comprised of Pure-Bloods. The debate went for very long before both tired for the day and Bellatrix left once again.

It was the fourth day that really set things off though. Bellatrix walked into the dungeon wearing thick black robes once again and walked directly to her usual spot in front of Harry. She watched him for a moment as he stood proudly before her despite his fatigue. She opened her mouth to speak but Harry stopped her by quickly asking, "Did you hate your husband?"

Bellatrix blinked, "Pardon me?"

"Did you hate your husband?" Harry repeated.

Bellatrix replied, "Why would you ask me such a question?"

"I noticed that you and your husband did not necessarily see eye-to-eye when you arrived to take over in my torture. I wanted to know whether it was because of recent troubles, or if you just never liked your husband."

"I loved my husband when we were first married, but he slowly showed me that he was not worth loving." Harry looked at her in an inquisitive manner before she continued, "Rudolphus was never able to impregnate me. This angered both of us since society expected us to bear Pure-Blood children. Children I would have been happy to have if it wasn't for the fact that Rudolphus could not complete his task. We tried for one year before he gave up, and I was never able to care for him the same way again."

"So all of your marital problems have stemmed from that fact," Harry stated. "Did this have anything to do with your becoming a Death Eater?"

Bellatrix glared at Harry, "I don't see how my problems with Rudolphus could be connected to my deciding to join the Dark Lord."

"But I do see the connection. Rudolphus could not impregnate you, so he made you useful by making you work for the Dark lord. Otherwise, Narcissa would be right here next to you instead of at home doing whatever rich Pure-Blood wives do."

Bellatrix looked as if she was contemplating breaking that Barrier with her own teeth if necessary when she said, "When the Dark Lord enlisted the aid of our family, Rudolphus immediately jumped at the chance. It was at his whim that I joined too. It wasn't completely my own decision, but I did want to serve my Master."

Harry smirked, "No, you didn't. Not at first, anyway. I've heard the Marauders talk about you; you were always a bit off but never as insane as you are now. Something must have happened since you started becoming a Death Eater. What was it that made you completely fall in love with torture and mayhem?"

Bellatrix did her best to meet Harry's eyes, "Why do you want to know? Do you want to become as psychotic as I am supposed to be?"

""No, but it would help me understand the mentality of a Death Eater. I understand the beliefs, the reasons, and the requirements, but I do not understand the motivation. I do not understand why you would be so willing to destroy the life of another with such ease and disregard for moral repercussions."

Bellatrix lost her internal struggle and lowered her eyes from Harry's where they rested on her dead husband. _How is he doing this to me?_ She tried to calm herself before she began to hyperventilate. H_ow is he interrogating me so effectively?_ "When something happens enough times you begin to accept it, and even enjoy it. It rips away a part of you and forces itself in the vacant area."

Harry nodded, "It destroys you a little. It causes you to shrink back and try to escape, but you know you can't escape as it begins to rip and tear at parts of your mind." Bellatrix's eyes shot up to look at Harry. "The only way to get rid of the pain, the suffering, and the loss is to grab it and pull it into you. You let it grow and fester inside of you until the only thing left is the satisfaction of knowing you beat it by loving it."

She couldn't breath. She couldn't think straight and couldn't move her eyes away from Harry's. "When did they begin abusing you, Bella? Did they only hurt you, or did they rape you too? How long was it before you cracked? When did you first scream in pleasure when they forced themselves into your body?"

Bellatrix couldn't look at Harry anymore. She turned around and nearly tripped as she stumbled towards the table. "What makes you think you know anything about what I have been through. The Dark lord has never allowed me to suffer needlessly by those Neanderthals!"

Harry shook his head, "Of course you didn't suffer needlessly. You suffered just enough to accept their decision as to what your function was. You did not want to enjoy murdering and torturing as much as you do, so Voldemort and his groupies did the same to you until you understood how good it could make you feel not to be on the other end. You're the only one truly capable enough to truly understand how good it feels to be on the giving side of the wand as opposed to the receiving end."

She swung around to face Harry with a look of fire in her eyes. "You don't know what its like! You can't comprehend how… how…"

She tried to force the words out of her mouth, but it was to no avail. Harry said, "I know what its like. I know what its like to be locked in a dingy piece of darkness with nothing but a dingy piece of cloth to wrap around you. I know what its like to be forced to do things I didn't want to do, and get smacked around for little more reason than the entertainment of others. I know what its like to be shunned just because one person says I'm not worth being noticed. I know what its like to be bent over and be destroyed while others stare and watch."

The fire left the eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange as she saw Harry Potter. This was not the Harry Potter that destroyed Voldemort and lived in the Wizarding world. This was not the Harry Potter who showed Lucius Malfoy and Rudolphus Lestrange that they were mere mortals. This was the Harry Potter who was shown the dark side of the world in all its glory and still managed to spit in its eye. This was the Harry Potter who will live to the end of time if he so chose.

"It is too late now. It's too late for me to do anything. I shall follow this path until the end of my days, and it is only then that I will find Salvation."

"No, it isn't too late. You have a chance to escape these shackles and find redemption in the Wizarding world. I can guarantee your safety. If you help me escape, then I can get a full pardon for you if you give me all the information you have on the Death Eaters and become my personal spy. You will only have to correspond to me. Not to Fudge, Madame Bones, any Aurors, any Spies, or Dumbledore. You will only have to talk to me."

Bellatrix turned and saw Harry watching her intently. She could not stand it anymore. She could not watch Harry as he showed her how weak she truly was compared to him. She could not watch him knowing that he was right about how everything she clung to for her sanity was nothing but an illusion that was never meant to survive this war. She could not watch him shine a small ray of hope into her world. She stumbled out of the room feeling sick. She struggled to make her way back to the chambers that she and Lucius used as their apartments, hoping beyond all hope that Lucius was true to his word and didn't come out to see how she was doing.

_**

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**_

Bellatrix slowly stirred the cup of tea in her hand with one finger while the other hand held her head. She slowly moved the spoon as she watched the tea slosh around in her cup. She changed out of the heavy robes she was wearing and was now sitting in the kitchen area of her and Lucius' apartments wearing a light silk teddy and a slim robe over it. She knew that any man would give half of their life to see her wearing this outfit for them, and was happy that no one could see her like this.

"I'm amazed you are still up this late and night."

Well, at least she still had her tea. "What are you doing out of your rooms, Lucius? I thought that you weren't coming out until Wednesday morning."

Lucius sat across the table from her and began making a cup of tea from the pot sitting in front of Bellatrix. "Well, I need to eat so I usually come out after you've gone to sleep. I didn't expect you to be sitting out here when I came to eat."

Bellatrix watched as Lucius prepared his tea, counting the amount of times he sneaked glances at her in her mind. Lucius loved to pin her down and shove his miniscule appendage into her rear when they were breaking her, and she new that he was itching to do it again. It has been a long time since he's last seen his wife, after all. He reached for the tin of sugar, but paused and reached further towards her hand. He reached within an inch before she said, "Touch me with that disgusting hand and I will knock you into insanity myself. I can easily blame it on Harry if the Dark Lord asks me about what happened."

Lucius pulled his hand back quickly and grabbed the sugar tin. As he prepared his tea further he asked, "So how have the conversations with Potter been going?"

Bellatrix began to rub her temples. "He's got the sharpest mind I've ever seen. I have doubts that anything I'm doing is affecting him."

Lucius nodded, "Do you think we should call in our Master now?"

Bellatrix stopped stirring and stared deeply into her cup. _There is no way I can break Harry. There is no way to break him. I don't even want to break him anymore. I want to help him. I want to save him. I want to…_ "Give me until Wednesday, Lucius. If I cannot do it by then, than I cannot do it at all."

Bellatrix new that he saw how stressed she was. She knew that anyone could tell she was shaken. However, she could tell that he considered her strong enough for the task the Dark Lord gave them when he nodded and retreated into his room with his tea in one hand.

_**

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**_

Bellatrix stood in front of Harry wearing the same thick robes she wore the day before. Her hair was loose and cascading down her back, nearly reaching the slight but still visible swell of her buttocks. She looked at Harry with a steel glint in her eye as she said, "I don't think I should believe you."

"You have every right not to."

"You're chained to a wall and surrounded by a ward I doubt you can even break, even though you were the one who cast it."

"I have worked miracles before."

"I don't even know how I will give you any information."

Harry smiled. He closed his eyes and used his Legilimency to send out a probe. This probe floated down between his feet, where his wand stayed ever since he summoned it out of Rudolphus' hand. Flakes of blood fell off the wand as he slowly wrapped his probe around his wand and lifted it into the air. Harry had no idea that he could use Legilimency to do wandless magic, but he was glad that he chose more productive things to do at night rather than wallow in despair. He raised his wand until it was in his hand before re released his probe. He turned to Bellatrix and said, "When you see a white Owl you will know. _Alohomora!_"

The shackles holding Harry snapped open, and Harry stumbled slightly and almost tripped over the body of Rudolphus Lestrange. He took a moment to steady himself before saying, "I have enjoyed myself immensely in this prison, but I think my welcome has ended. It really is time for me to go."

"Oh, I don't think so, Mr. Potter." A chilling voice said as the door slowly opened on its own accord. Bellatrix and Harry both turned to see s snake-faced man walk in followed by Lucius Malfoy. Voldemort saw Harry and smiled, "I've only just had time to drop by and say hello."

_**

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**_

**A/N:** This is one of the hardest chapters I've ever written in my life. I hope it was worth it.


	8. Reap What You Sow

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all non-OC's are not mine, but the plot and all OC's are.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
****Chapter 8: Reap What You Sow  
****By: Nanio-713**

Voldemort smiled as he walked into the room followed by Lucius, "Hello, Mr. Potter. I imagine that I'm one of the last people you have expected to see, correct?" Harry nodded as he stepped into the room and began to stare at the dead body at the boy's feet. He sighed, "I recently went out on a small trip to take care of a few annoyances. I had recently finished visiting the Clearwater's estate, the Edgecombe manor, and the Thomas' house with Bellatrix here when Lucius and Rudolphus appear before me. They quickly explained their plight so I let Bella come and handle you. I then visit the brother of your illustrious Headmaster when I am suddenly struck by a blinding pain in my head. I was elated when I realized that the pain was coming from you. I decided to give my minions a few more days before I visit to properly put you in your place. Instead, I hear you cast a spell before finding you behind a very powerful shield, with your wand in hand, standing over what I assume is the late Rudolphus Lestrange." Voldemort then turned to Bellatrix, "How long has he been able to defend himself?"

Bellatrix froze, completely frightened about having to answer the Dark Lord. She stuttered, "H-He only just broke free, my Lord. He was shackled throughout the entire process but-"

"SILENCE!" Voldemort snapped, "That is not what I meant! How long has he been surrounded by that blasted shield?"

Lucius stepped forward and said, "He killed Rudolphus four days ago and cast the shield during the act of killing him. Since then, Bellatrix has spent the entire time trying to verbally bend him to our will. Apparently, his mind is a lot tougher than we thought."

Voldemort sneered, "I seriously doubt that Harry will be too hard to handle considering what I have in store for him." He turned back to face Harry, "So have you enjoyed your conversations these past few days?"

Harry smirked, "I've never had to debate that hard before in my life. Your minion made me explain every reason I had for defying you and pointed out every flaw in my arguments. I must say, Tom, that you truly do train your subordinates well."

The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed as he hissed, "Do not presume to call me by that filthy Muggle's name!"

"Why not, Tom? It's a gift from your father. He wouldn't want you to forget your roots in Muggle culture, now would he?" Harry's smile grew as he watched Voldemort become angrier.

"That name died when I became more than human, Potter. That name has no hold over me anymore, and once I crack that shield of yours I will teach you exactly why I am the most feared Wizard in the world!"

Bellatrix watched the scene with an indescribable amount of interest. Over the past few days Harry had constantly alluded to the idea of the Dark Lord being a Half-Blood, but she never really believed it. Even when he had her crying and stumbling to get away from him she did not truly believe that he was being honest with her about the Dark Lord. On the other hand, hearing Voldemort himself saying what he just did confirmed her suspicions that Harry was telling the truth. She watched as Voldemort positioned himself in an attacking stance as Harry braced himself behind the shield. Before Voldemort could cast a spell, though, Lucius cried, "The only thing that can break that shield is the killing curse, Master! If you kill him now, you cannot get any of the information you wanted!"

Voldemort frowned at the man's interruption and redirected his wand towards Lucius. He screamed, "_Crucio!_" and watched as Malfoy fell over and began to howl in pain. The man squirmed and writhed on the ground as Voldemort held him under the curse for a little over a minute. Slowly, he released the spell and turned back to Harry. "So," Voldemort began, "You somehow cast a life barrier to protect yourself. How did you get access to that spell? Did you peruse my mind without permission?"

Bellatrix blinked and asked, "Life barrier?"

The Dark lord nodded, "It is an incredibly powerful ward that uses a Wizard's life force as a barrier to protect themselves. Harry here used the life of your husband to ensure that he cannot be touched unless he is completely unconscious. A simple stunner would suffice if anyone had access to him, but unfortunately he did not allow either of you to be close enough to stay within the barrier's limits. Of course, that is the point of the spell so I can't really be that surprised. Am I correct so far, Mr. Potter?"

Harry shrugged, "I didn't even know what this barrier was called. All I knew was that I wanted Rudolphus to pay and the pain to stop. I must've gotten the spell from you when you possessed me or something."

Voldemort smiled, "Indeed you may have, but I don't really think so. Regardless, this barrier will be coming down and your memories will be mine. It is a good thing I planned for such an event." He waved towards Lucius, who stepped out of the room. "I have been busy with more than revenge, dear Harry. I have been rebuilding our forces. All I had to do was go to Azkaban and find the head Dementor. After promising a few hundred souls to feast on the poor beasts were more than willing to follow my command. You see, Harry, that while your barrier stops mere mortals from passing through this barrier, those who have magic flowing through their veins in exceeding amounts – Like Dementors, Veela, and Vampires – can use their powers through such barriers, and can often walk right through them."

Harry began to feel a chill pass through his spine as Lucius walked back into the room looking as if he wanted to faint. Following close on his heels was a six-foot-tall Dementor, his hood raised and hiding the grotesque features underneath. Voldemort smiled and motioned towards Harry and smiled, while the Dementor slid through the fluorescent barrier as if it did not exist. Shadows of memories slid through Harry's mind as he raised his mental shields and attempted to block off the Dementor's effects. Like the Cruciatus, his Occlumency helped lessen the feelings caused by the Dementor but it did not stop them. Harry heard his mother yelling for Voldemort to spare Harry and to take her instead, but Harry noticed that it sounded as if the voices were coming from underwater. His wits remained about him, although he felt fainter than ever. Harry felt a pull on his mental barriers as if the Dementor was trying to suck his shields away. He struggled with the creature for a small amount of time before he felt his outer shields crumbling. Instead of allowing them to fall, he instead released them and used that power to extend his mental awareness. He had no idea why he did that until he heard a deep, gravelly voice say, "**_It is not supposed to be your time to pass. I apologize for having to allow you to be killed. However, your life was meaningful and worthy of praise. I hope you find comfort in that fact_**."

Harry looked at the Dementor with wide eyes. His mouth almost dropped open when he realized that the voice he heard came from the Dementor! He used his Legilimency to say, "_Why should I die when it is not my time? I see no reason for my life to end so early for so little a reason as your hunger and your Lord's sadistic pleasure!_"

A sense of anger radiated from the Dementor, "**_I would appreciate it if you not insulted my master in this way! He has done nothing to you in this lifetime, and I see not why you mention him at this time._**"

Harry mentally snorted, "_What are you talking about? Voldemort has terrorized my life since the moment I've met him._"

The Dementor turned to Voldemort as if he was casually checking on a new house pet and asked, "**_Do you mean that creature? That is not my master. My master is more powerful than that silly parasite that creature can ever hope to be. I am merely entertaining the notions of this … _thing_… to stop him from doing anything too foolish._**"

Harry watched the Dementor for a while, silently contemplating what he was going to say next. He vaguely wondered if Legilimency could help him anymore in this situation when the creature began to move. The Dementor moved himself closer and the faint screams in the back of Harry's mind began getting slightly louder and he was beginning to feel nauseous from the stench of rotting flesh and blood. The Dementor lowered his hood to show his scabbed, pale blue skin and eyeless patches of skin on his face. The Dementor placed himself within an inch of Harry's face and said, "**_You have my permission to do as you please, but be aware that it may result in the end of your life. Please be aware that it is your choice, not mine. I bear no responsibility for the consequences of your actions._**"

Harry thought for a moment about what he could do. When nothing came to mind immediately, he thought about his interactions with the Dementor so far. Realizing that the Dementor began to move when he thought about Legilimency, he sent a small probe towards the Dementor and connected with his head. Suddenly, he jumped back and slammed himself against the wall in fear, yet still kept the connection with the Dementor.

His mind was suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of fear, depression, and anger. Waves upon waves of these emotions rolled over Harry until he thought that he would explode from the massive onslaught of feelings. He began convulsing and fell over, twitching occasionally, his eyes darting quickly around the room.

He saw Voldemort standing with a look of insane triumph spread across his face. He stood completely still with his head held high and his slit-like nostrils flaring slightly. He held his chest open in a pompous, arrogant manner that reminded Harry of a military general he once met in Muggle primary school whose son often beat him up. Lucius stood next to him in open glee, ready to start bouncing up and down like a giddy child about to receive his Christmas presents early. Bellatrix stood slightly behind the other two men, a look of horror and despair on his face. Bellatrix, the woman whom Harry knew there was a chance of salvation if only she could be given the chance to be free. The woman who has felt such brutality, hate, and violence from the men she is also forced to protect and serve. The only other person he knew was tortured to point throughout the greater part of her life because someone else made decisions for her…

Harry began to fight against the waves of pain and suffering that was attempting to drown him. He pushed against the onslaught of emotions, and slowly began to lessen the convulsions and twitching throughout his body. He still had a lot of trouble breathing and struggled to stay conscious, but after ten minutes of this process he found himself twitching a lot less. He looked at the Dementor standing above him, who was not moving to help him, hinder him, or break their connection. Harry fought against the emotional pain surging through his body as if it was the Imperious, and slowly felt himself overcoming it as the minutes leaked away. He found the strength to push himself off of the floor and to his knees, covered in small flakes of dried blood. He forced his will against the pain, telling himself that if he can overcome the Dementor he will survive for one more day, one more breath, one more…

Voldemort's eyes widened when Harry picked himself from the floor and stood proudly before the Dementor. Waves of air slowly rolled off of Harry. His eyes were darkened to a green so dark it was almost black. One moment later, there was a brief moment where everything was covered in shadow before light returned and Harry stood with his green eyes flashing in anger, his wand pointing at the Dementor's head. The Dementor bowed and turned to Voldemort. Suddenly everyone heard the otherworldly body say, "**_This boy no longer belongs in your possession. He has proven himself worthy, and is now to be taken to my master. I will not be back soon, so my second will now be in charge of the others._**"

"How dare you presume to defy me?" Voldemort roared as he pointed his wand at the Dementor, "You have agreed to serve me, and now you dare to save my worst enemy! What is this treachery?"

The Dementor stood at full height and Harry knew that it was absorbing more of the Wizard's energy from the room. Not that he felt it, of course, since he fought off the magic. The Dementor said, "**_Whe are not pets, nor slaves, nor mindless lackeys. We joined you out of our own free will, and we told you that we will work with you, not serve you! We are not hounds to be ordered around! We have allowed ourselves to be ordered by your men because it was often a mutual gain, but now I am doing my service as a Dementor, which has no bearing on our agreement. This soul is coming with me, and there is nothing that you can say to stop that._**"

The Dementor turned to Harry and strode forward. Harry saw, by viewing over the creature's shoulder, Voldemort scowl as he redirected his wand at Harry. He screamed, "_Avada Kedavra!_" As the killing curse sailed towards Harry, the Dementor rushed over and wrapped Harry and himself in the Dementor's cloak, causing Harry's mind to go blank as if a veil was covered over his soul.

_**

* * *

**_

When Harry regained his vision, he found himself in the middle of an incredibly large hallway. He looked behind himself to see a long hallway stretch away and angle to the side. As he looked up he noticed that the ceiling was high enough to fit a giant, and he turned forward to see an incredibly large arched doorway. He looked down to see his bloodstained slacks and trainers. He shivered slightly as he rubbed his arms over his bare chest and reached for his glasses when he realized that they weren't there. _When did I lose my glasses?_ He thought._ I don't remember wearing them since… since before I was captured!_ He thought back on the last two weeks and seemed that a large portion of his memories were in focus, while his vision was mostly blurred during the first few days. He turned to talk to the Dementor and asked, "Where are we? How can you see my glasses?"

"**_All answers will be answered when you meet my master,_**" was the only reply that the Dementor gave.

The two walked up to the large set of doors and watched as they opened inward without being touched. They slowly made their way into the room. Harry would barely see the Dementor in the dim room, but as time slowly passed his eyes began to make out a shadow in the darkness ahead. He saw the outline of a human when the snap of a pair of fingers caused several torches to spring to life. Harry looked around to see that he was in an incredibly large room. The ceiling was as high as the Hallway's, and Harry figured that the room was slightly larger than the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Directly ahead of him were the Dementor and another hooded figure that was standing next to a Dais that held a Veil like the one in the Department of mysteries. "Hello," the hooded figure said in a deep melodious voice, "it is so nice to have a living human in my chambers once again. It has been so long since a living mortal has seen this room and longer still that I have been in it when they arrive."

Harry bowed to the hooded man and stated, "I thank you for bringing me here. I would have died if your Dementor had not taken me from the dungeon we were in."

"Ah yes, the new Dungeon that some of my minions have acquired through a treaty with the new Dark Lord. I was aware that some of my Dementor's were working for him to prevent him from throwing off my schedule drastically, but I did not know that you were being held there. You are one of the souls I have been worried about losing for quite some time. Your name is Harry Potter, correct?" At Harry's nod he continued, "I have been most worried that you would be sent to the other side before I had the chance to meet you, but unfortunately you have not been in a position for me to approach you until now."

Harry nodded, "I was wondering where we were, and why I can see without my glasses? Are there wards in this place that helps me see?"

The hooded figure shook his head, "You are nowhere in your plane of reality, but rather in the gateway between this world and the afterlife. We are doing nothing to your eyes; they are merely being helped by your power."

"What power are you talking about?"

"The power you possess that has me wishing to see you." The hooded figure stepped off of the Dais and walked to stand a few feet in front of Harry, He paused for a moment before saying, "It is the same power that has been protecting you from the forces that wish to kill you. It has been manifesting itself more recently, and I've recently come to realize that you are powerful enough to control it."

Harry smirked slightly, "So does that mean I no longer need glasses?"

"No," Harry's smirk faded at the figure's response, "Your vision may disappear once you learn to control it. Although, I've never seen this power held within a human, let alone one with glasses, so it is quite possible that you can retain your eyesight the way it is now once you harness your power."

Harry nodded grimly and asked, "What power are you talking about? Is it my mother's blood protection, or something else?"

"Haven't you noticed that you have been doing things, Harry, that you did not know how to? You killed that Wizard with an amazing display of magic, you created a barrier that you didn't even know existed, you learned magical skills that most Wizards and witches take months or even years to learn in surprisingly short amounts of time, and you have proven before that you can adapt to almost any situation. Have you ever wondered how that was all possible?"

Harry looked at his feet and mumbled, "I don't know how I achieved any of that. I originally thought that I was lucky, but after a while I began to wonder. I never really figured t out, so I usually believed that everything was caused by my mother's blood protection. I don't know why I learn magic extremely quickly, so I was usually told that I was extremely gifted in that regard. I thought that was just something that was unique about me."

The hooded figure shook his head, "Your power is unique, Harry. Your mother's protections ward you when you are at your home and when a threatening being touches you, but it does not make you luckier or stronger. No, your ability to adapt to your environment and your speed in learning complicated arts are a part of your understanding of magic."

The figure reached his right hand to the side to reveal that it was pure bone. The bones were not polished and white like Harry would have believed, but more like an off white that seemed slightly damp and fleshy. The area in front of the figure's hand darkened until it seemed like an egg-shaped dome of darkness taller than the figure appeared. The darkness moved as if it was fire and when it dissipated a large six-foot scythe with a black ash handle appeared next to him, its scythe gleaming in the low light of the room. The figure continued, "Understanding magic is not something you can do consciously. It comes from your perceptions of the world, your sub-conscious beliefs, and your ability to believe in whether or not something is possible. The only limits on magic are what you yourself place on them. Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle, the two most powerful beings in the world, do not even realize that the reason their power has limits is because they believe in them. This is where you are unique. In your vast ignorance of your world, you do not know what is and is not possible. You do not hold to the beliefs you hear others say about what is and is not possible and, as such, you can do much more than your peers due to your ignorance. Sometimes your views clash with those of others nearby which causes your ability to be blocked, but when you are determined and focused you have been able to briefly harness and bend the self-taught rules of magic that surround you. You have the power to manipulate magic, and those skills are what bring you here to me."

Harry cocked his head to the side, "If most of what others tell me about magic is false, then what is magic?"

The figure opened his arms wide and said, "Magic is what keeps your world alive, my friend. It is what you breathe, eat, and use everyday. Those you called Muggles have it, but they do not possess the ability to sense or control it. Squibs can sense these powers, but they cannot manipulate them. Wizards can do both, although they can only do them to various degrees. Dumbledore and Riddle possess some of the largest gifts for manipulation of Magic that are alive, but there are a small handful of people who have the unique ability to reach the highest form of Magic. These beings do not reach their full potential because of the barriers they are given by others, but you do not have this problem."

Harry arched an eyebrow, "And what exactly is the highest form of Magic?"

The figure reached out with his left hand and pulled back his hood. He revealed a eggshell white skull with large eye sockets, but you could not see into the skull. Instead, it seemed that the inside of his head was filled with a darkness so thick it blocked out all light like a cloud would. "You have the ability to accept and manipulate death."

Harry stepped back from the creature in horror, "Who are you? What is your name?"

"I am the Death in corporeal form. This is the body in which I communicate to the world. I am the highest concentration of this necessary part of nature. I have so many names: Hades, the Grim Reaper, Ahpuc, Amida-Nyroai, Asrael, and Yen-Lo-Wang are a few. But you may call me Death, for no matter what you say that is what I am."

"Why do you need me?" Harry asked nervously, "What can I do that you cannot? I am grateful for you sparing my life until now, but I don't see what help I can be to you."

"My cousin, fate, has placed a unique border on the souls of yourself and Voldemort, meaning that only you, Voldemort, and myself can bring each other to the other realm. I am not allowed to touch either of you until the one of you brings the other to me. Unfortunately, Voldemort has been using the curse that completely by-passes all of my minions and plans, and just sends souls directly to the other side. He is interrupting schedules and plans on when souls need to be sent to the other side, and I have put up with it for too long. If I don't start doing something, the man may interrupt my plans on the future of the world. He has already killed at least five people who were integral to the advancement of Wizarding culture, causing me to move their gifts into others. No, he must be killed now before he starts leading the world to an early collapse."

Harry nodded and reached into his pocket, absently fiddling with the handle of his wand, "So how are you going to train me? How long will it take?"

"I wish for you to take my scythe. It was given to me by the Ministry of Magic in medieval Britain in exchange for the services of my Dementor's and the doorway to judgment which is currently located in the Ministry of Magic in London. I have placed a part of myself into it, and it will train you in the power of my minions."

"You mean it has the powers of a Dementor?"

"Some of the powers within this blade are those of the Dementor's, and you need to drink the power of those around you to use it at first, but that will go away once you completely accept your gift and are fully trained. But you must be aware that Dementor's are not my only servants. I have plenty of other creatures like Lethifold's and Pobegrin's who belong to me. You can also create and travel by darkness, contact my minions, and collect souls in any manner you please."

Harry stood there, watching Death as he thought about his possible options. _So I'm strong enough to manipulate death, Huh?_ He looked at Death and asked, "So if I can collect souls, can I bring them back?"

Death shook his head, "You can only take souls to the other side, and when you harness the true power of death you will be able to travel to the other side and back. However, no one is allowed to return once they pass unless they wish to bring about a possible apocalypse."

Harry's hopes brightened slightly, "But I will be able to travel to the other side? I can go visit my parents, Cedric, Sirius, and-"

Death held out his hand to stop Harry, "Please stop this nonsense, Harry. Please, you have mourned and accepted the deaths of your loved ones. Don't become so in love with the idea of seeing them again that it blinds your reasoning. It will not be the same as when they were alive and you know it. You have accepted your loss. Please, don't hurt yourself in order to see them again. That kind of thinking will only lead to your death."

Harry nodded, mentally kicking himself for thinking what he did. He pushed the sadness of this new revelation out of his mind when he realized that he was about to make his choice for all of the wrong reasons. He looked at Death and thought about his options. He stood there for a moment before saying, "Alright, I agree to help you by destroying Voldemort."

Death nodded and said (although his mouth did not move), "In that case, it is time for you to attack me." At Harry's perplexed look Death continued with, "I am not just give you the scythe, Harry. You have to earn it. The only way you get my scythe is by releasing the inhibitions that you have given yourself and beat me." With that said Death raised the scythe and placed himself in a defensive battle stance.

Harry stood in a magical dueling position and paused. He and Death watched each other for a moment as the Dementor moved through the veil and disappeared. Nothing stirred, and the seconds leaked away as the two opponents watched each other. Suddenly, Harry yelled, "_Expelliarmus!_" and watched as Death sliced his curse in half. Harry then followed up by shooting three stunners. Death dodged the curses and lunged at Harry, attempting to slice Harry from the side. Harry jumped back to avoid the blade and rolled to the side as Death jumped high into the air. Harry watched as Death arched over him with the scythe high in the air before coming down and slashing at him. Harry jumped to the side again, narrowly missing the blade which slammed into the floor. A small fissure cracked into the stone floor as Death landed. Then, a ball of darkness engulfed Death and when it dissipated Death was gone.

Harry stood perplexed before immediately ducking. Just as he ducked, Death's scythe flew over his head so fast it made a whistling sound. Harry turned around and fired a stunner only to see another flash of darkness. He rolled to the side and watched as Death reappeared and kicked where Harry's wand arm would have been and yelled, "_Sectumsempra!_" Death dodged out of the way, causing the spell to rip off a piece of the cloak Death was wearing. Harry then rushed up to Death and began executing a series of punches and kicks.

Harry thought back on the past month. Ever since Tonks began training him in Occlumency and Legilimency, she always made sure he was in shape. As such, she usually made him run or practice Muggle fighting with Remus while building and maintaining his Occlumency shields. While fighting, Remus showed Harry a few basic Martial arts moves that could quickly incapacitate his opponents. Harry began by jabbing at Death, who dodged expertly, followed by a roundhouse kick. Death ducked and attempted to punch Harry in the stomach when Harry grabbed Death's arm and pushed it slightly to the side, causing him to only graze Harry's ribs. Harry then followed up by punching Death directly in the Temple. Death stumbled back as Harry kicked at Death again, but his opponent quickly recovered and dodged Harry's kick, following it up by tripping the raven-haired boy. As Harry jumped back to his feet Death jumped and positioned him in a defensive position a safe distance away.

The two watched each other again briefly before Death began twirling his scythe in his hands. He began moving his hands in a figure eight motion, causing his weapon to spin from his right to his left. He raised his hands and allowed the scythe to spin rapidly. He removed one hand and held the scythe up with one finger as it began to spin in an incredibly fast speed. He moved his hand back before throwing the scythe at Harry as if it was a Frisbee, and Harry dropped to the floor to avoid being cut in half. The scythe flew by him before turning around and returning to slice at Harry once more, but Harry summoned a powerful shield to block the scythe. The weapon bounced onto the floor and Death transported himself to grab it before Harry finished dropping his shield. Death lunged once again and slashed at Harry's mid-section as the raven-haired boy jumped, using magic to push himself higher than normal, and kicked at the Grim Reaper's face. The kick landed squarely on Death's head, causing him to veer off to the side but not lose his balance. Harry landed and swung his arm back, as he brought his hand forward he screamed, "_Expecto patronum!_" A large silver Stag erupted from his wand, charging at the dark figure. Death Jumped back as Harry's Stag attempted to gore him, then ran forward and slashed. The Stag jumped back before attacking again, swinging his head from side to side in an attempt to catch his opponent in his antlers. Harry, meanwhile, is thinking, _I need something that can knock down my opponent, or at least get the scythe out of his hand. I need something that works from a distance, but can't be cut by the scythe._ As Harry pondered his situation, his stag backed Death further away until they nearly reached the wall. Death felt the wall behind him and waited until the Stag lunged before disappearing and reappearing behind it. He slashed quickly, catching the beast in what would be its hind quarters, and watched as the Stag dissipated. Turning around, he moved quickly to his side to avoid a bludgeoning curse and sidestepped to dodge a bone-breaking curse. He ran forward quickly and rammed his fist into Harry's side. He followed up by putting down his scythe and delivering a series of jabs and completed the combo with a blow to Harry's cheek. Harry was knocked to the side and felt his body being scraped across the ground before halting. As Harry began to stand up, Death picked up the scythe and hit Harry in the chest with the handle. Harry slammed against the wall and Death proceeded to punish Harry with a few punches and a kick to the face and chest. Harry was amazed – somewhere in the back of his head – that the little bones in Death's arms and legs didn't break through the rough treatment. Blood seeped out of the scrapes along Harry's chest and back, and bruises blossomed and became prominent on his legs, arms, and cheek. Harry slumped over in pain and watched as Death raised his scythe and said, "I'm sorry Harry, but I guess you did not understand as well as I had hoped."

Death began to bring down the scythe as Harry suddenly slashed with his wand. A beam of light grew out of the wand and wrapped itself around Death's hands, causing him to stop in his motions. Death jumped back as Harry struggled to his feet, his wand still connected to the beam of light wrapped around Deaths hands. Harry pulled on the beam, causing it to release Death and nearly knock the scythe out of his hands. Harry watched as the beam came back and pooled around his legs as if it was a whip. Harry swung his arm bang and slashed like he watched Lion tamers do on the Muggle T.V. whenever Dudley watched a commercial on the circus, and saw as the beam flew and slashed at Death, causing a whip-like noise as it cut another part of Death's robes. Harry smirked and said, "I'm starting to like this 'accepting no limitations on Magic' thing. It's kind of fun."

Death nodded and Harry thought that if Death had lips he would be smirking. Death lunged at Harry, who lashed out with His light whip. Death jumped back to avoid the slash, then disappeared in darkness to reappear in the air ten feet above Harry. Harry quickly slashed up to Death who knocked away the edge of the whip with the scythe's blade. He slashed twice more at Death who continued to block in the same manner before dropping like a brick and swinging at Harry's Head. Harry, remembering the feeling of apparating with Dumbledore to speak with the new Hogwarts professor, used his memory to disapparate at the last second. Harry apparated seven feet in front of Death and quickly lashed out with his light whip, which wrapped itself around the handle of the Scythe. Death Grabbed the scythe at both sides of the whip and grounded his feet, pulling in an attempt to prevent Harry from gaining the scythe. They both watched each other intently as a chuckle came from Death, "Well done, Harry, very well done. I never expected to have this much fun with your arrival."

Harry smirked as he struggled to keep his wand in his hands. He felt the burn of his bruised muscles as he struggled, and felt a small stream of blood flow from above his eyebrow to the side of his temple and down his cheek. He remarked, "You make it sound as if we're done with the fight. This is only an interlude."

Death shook his head, "No, this fight is drawing to a close. If you cannot gain my scythe now then you have lost. I will not give you another chance since your limitations, while small, are too much for you to break. If you succeed, then I will tell you all that is left to say before sending you back to wherever you wish."

"Well then I guess I'll just have to make this interesting, won't I?" Harry taunted. He pulled back on his wand hard, expecting the whip to be pulled taut and move Death slightly off balance. Instead, the light became very taut and disconnected from Harry's wand. A moment past as the beam sailed towards Death before the room was swallowed in a flash of light and the sound of an explosion. Harry covered his eyes as he felt a wave of heat hit him from just up ahead. The heat was too much for his wounds to handle without tensing in pain, which caused Harry to fall to his knees. A few moments passed where Harry was blind, panting, and in obvious pain while kneeling, before Harry could properly stand and see. When he did look, he saw Death sprawled on the ground roughly ten feet away from his original spot, and the scythe lay three feet in front of Harry. The raven-haired boy made his way to the scythe as the Grim Reaper struggled to get to his feet. Death slowly stabilized himself on his feet and looked as Harry reached down and picked up the scythe. A flash of pain surged through his body, just like when he connected his mind to the Dementor, before he fought the feeling back and stood. He took a deep breath and felt the changes flow throughout his body. His eyes became sharper and he was able to see even better in the dim room. He took a deep breath and felt slivers of something alien trying to be sucked into his body. He felt a slow sense of foreboding creep throughout his entire body, as if it was anticipating a feast of power to occur soon.

Death watched Harry as he accepted these new powers and feelings. He said quietly, "That was a very fun duel. I have not had a challenge like that in nearly a millennium! If we had continued and you had been at full health, I would not have been surprised if you would have been able to destroy this form, causing me to create a new one."

Harry leaned onto the scythe as he said, "I'm starting to feel kind of woozy. All this fighting mixed in with the torture from Voldemort… I don't think I can stand much longer."

Death nodded, "Put away the scythe. It is drawing on your power now, since there are no souls to drink emotions from, so when you put it away you will feel better."

Harry was about to ask how before he felt the handle of the scythe pulse. He looked at the blade and felt a sense of sorrow and abandonment surge from it. Harry accepted these feelings and felt his magic pull with them before the weapon was engulfed in flames of darkness and it disappeared. Harry sighed as Death continued, "I see you now know how the scythe will teach you. Yet, the scythe itself can only teach you so much. I want you to spend a day or two per week practicing with the blade and learning from it, and I will send you one of my disciples to train you soon. I myself will visit and train you from time to time and help you better understand the importance of accepting life and death as one."

Harry nodded, "Thank you for this gift. I promise that I will stop Voldemort in order to set the balance that he is disturbing back. I will do all that I can."

"Good," he responded, "Now it is time for you to return to your allies and rest from this ordeal. When you return, you will have six days before you have to return to your earthly studies, so please remember that."

Harry thought about this knowledge. _Wait a minute, _He thought, _I only spent two weeks in Voldemort's dungeons, so I should have another two. That means I've been here…_ Harry was about to ask about this new revelation, but was stopped before he could ask by Death's raised hand. **_Time is fluid here,_** Death said into Harry's mind, **_and now is not the time for questions. Now is the time for you to return._** Before Harry could respond, he was engulfed in darkness and his mind went blank once more.

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N:** I know this is kind of a cliffy but at least you know Harry's safe and that he's going back to his friends, so please don't complain about cliffhangers.

**A/N2:** When I talk about a ball of Darkness, think about something shaped like a baseball or football that you cannot see through, but you know nothing's there. If anyone has ever played videogames, think of energy blasts, or fireballs, and you'll know what I'm talking about. As for flames of darkness, try to picture a fire but change all the colors to various shades of black (jet black, black that is almost grey, very dark grey, etc).


	9. Life, or Something Like it

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all Non-OC characters are property of J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's (including the Grim Reaper) came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay in my writing, but real life and Mid-Terms have destroyed all of my spare time. I hope this chapter makes up for it, though. Also, a special Thanks to **Kinsfire** and my Beta, **donalddeutsch**, for looking over this chapter.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
****Chapter 9: Life, or Something Like it  
****By: Nanio-713**

Professor Dumbledore stood in the magically expanded kitchen of the Burrow surrounded by a sea of faces. The closest people to him were Professors Snape and McGonagall, who stood on both sides of him as he stood at one end of the Weasley's dinner table. Next to them sat the entire Weasley clan (minus Percy), Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin, his girlfriend Alice, and Nymphadora Tonks. Behind them sat Cho Chang and her parents, who refused to allow her to visit the Burrow alone, Amelia Bones, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Dumbledore sighed, thinking about how things would've been easier and safer if Cho's parents and Remus' girlfriend had not come. If it was just Cho and Remus alone then everyone would be at Grimmauld Place, since Cho could somehow enter into the house without anyone ever having told her of its location and everyone else in the room knew about the Order of the Phoenix. Shaking his head to clear the thought, Dumbledore began. "I have called you all here to talk about Harry Potter. I know that most of you here have some sort of close relationship with him, and we have recently discovered some startling information as to Harry Potter's current state."

A quick gasp came from everyone sitting before him, followed quickly by shouts and demands for the information. Dumbledore raised his hand to silence the group. "I'm well aware that everyone here wishes to know where Harry is and, as such, hope you will be silent as I allow Professor Snape to share the news."

Dumbledore took a few steps back and allowed Severus to occupy the spot he just vacated. Snape took a moment to scan everyone's faces. "Our sources have heard very little as to the whereabouts of Mr. Potter until recently. However, the discovery of a dead Death Eater and the breaking of a pact between the Dark Lord and the Dementor's have brought his location to light. Apparently, the boy was being tortured by two escaped Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy and Rudolphus Lestrange, for information regarding Dumbledore, Hogwarts, and any possible resistance that the light side of this war that he could possibly know of. Bellatrix Lestrange also joined the torturers, although exactly when that happened is uncertain. Regardless, the boy managed to somehow kill Rudolphus Lestrange with a bit of accidental magic and escaped captivity with the aid of a Dementor."

Severus took a small breath, which allowed many people to screech, "What?" and, "How is that possible?" He watched the crowd before him begin to babble in confusion before barking, "Silence!" Snape took a moment to calm down. "As I was saying, Harry escaped captivity and has not been seen since approximately one week ago. Since he left with a Dementor, there have been no sightings of him and all of the Dementors who have allied themselves with You-know-who refuse to divulge his whereabouts."

"Wow," Tonks said, "you would figure that he would've gotten rid of the Dementors after they helped Harry escape."

"The Dark Lord currently needs more allies at the moment than he does unquestionable servitude. Also, their taking Mr. Potter has do to with a contract they have with another person they call 'Master' and claim that it has no bearing on their agreement with Voldemort."

Remus piped up with, "Isn't He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named their master now? How can they have two masters?"

Ron jumped in with, "And how do you really talk to Dementors? I thought they couldn't speak."

Snape looked at Ron coldly. "A Dementor speaks through a form of Legilimency known as mental awareness. They use their powers to link slightly to the minds of those around them and transmit their messages directly into your head. Unfortunately, the effect caused by being around Dementors grows considerably during such links. Also, the Dementors do not consider the Dark Lord to be their master, but rather a business associate. Therefore, they feel they can work with the Dark Lord as well as obey their master. You-know-who is very upset with the loss of Potter and is currently relying less on Dementors in his operations than before. Since there has been no sign of him within the past week it is assumed that Potter is currently involved in some sort of partnership with the Dementors, although the Death Eaters are not sure what that entails. Our sources also believe it possible that Harry is dead, although the Dark Lord refuses to believe that without proof."

The crowd became silent, with the exception of an occasional sob from Cho and Ginny, and everyone was unsure of what to say next. Arthur sat next to his daughter, absent-mindedly rubbing her back as he said, "I know it hurts, Ginny, but you must stay strong. What has happened to Harry is affecting us all, and you're feeling the loss of your friend Dean as well, but we must keep fighting to ensure that their lives were not lost in vain."

Dumbledore nodded, "Indeed, Mr. Weasley. We must continue to battle Voldemort until he is destroyed for those who have passed on, as well as for those who are among us for we do not wish to lose any more lives."

Hermione, who up until this point was holding back, suddenly stood and shouted. "But they haven't found a body yet! For all we know Harry is still alive."

Snape drawled, "Really Granger, you must realize that it has been missing for a week! If there was any chance he did escape, don't you think he would have contacted the one of us by now? By Merlin's beard, that blasted OWL of his can't even find him and she is his familiar! That means that he is either in a secure area, or he is dead. Considering the company he was last seen with, I doubt that Mr. Potter is alive and will suddenly appear nearby."

Snape began walking towards the door to leave when he suddenly felt a gust of air behind him. He felt chilled to the bone as he turned around and saw a small bonfire where he was just standing. However, this fire was not like just any fire because it was completely black, and not orange and red. The fire began to become wider and reach higher, yet instead of becoming hotter the room became colder. Tonks and Shacklebolt shot beams of water from their wands in an attempt to put the flames out, but it had no visible effect on them. The flames became roughly two feet in diameter and nearly reached the ceiling as everyone backed away from them. Shacklebolt watched in horror as Hedwig and Cho's owl Gandalf flew into the room and began screeching repeatedly. He pointed and stuttered, "I-It's the evil spirits of this house. One of the dead must be attempting to channel themselves in astral form by using the magic from the house!"

The Owls began flying around the flames, which began to dissipate. As they lowered, the crowd noticed that the outline of a man in the middle of the flames. The flames lowered, allowing everyone to see a mop of unruly black hair, followed by a pair of intense green eyes and a bruised cheek. The flames went lower, showing a bare chest and arms peppered in scrapes and bruises, as well as a battered pair of pants with a few blood stains on them. The flames reached the floor and disappeared and Harry fell to his knees before the two owls settled onto a nearby chair.

"Harry," screeched Cho and Tonks as they ran to Harry.

They reached Harry and quickly began checking his injuries while the rest of the room began moving to get a better view of him. As the two women began checking various body parts to ensure that he was in one piece, Dumbledore stepped up to them. "Harry, is that you? How did you get here?"

Dumbledore reached out to touch Harry when the young man suddenly jumped back and yelled, "Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me!"

Cho and Tonks moved to grab Harry's arms again as Harry began to scoot further away from the Headmaster, and the entire room suddenly became quiet. Dumbledore sighed and let his arm fall by his side. "I apologize for that, Harry. With all of those injuries, and whatever traumatic torturing the Death Eaters subjected you to, I'm sure you don't want anyone to touch you right now."

Harry noticed his vision blurred once more as he watched the headmaster. He blinked a few times before sitting upright and placing his hands in those of Cho and Tonks. "No, I just don't want you touching me because Legilimency is more effective with physical contact, and I don't feel like getting mind raped right now. Tonks, Cho, can you get me a chair or something? I need my glasses too."

The two women quickly picked him up and placed his arms over their shoulders while Remus ran out of the room. He returned quickly with a pair of stylish black spectacles. "It's a good thing Hermione found out your prescription and got you this pair as a present. Otherwise you would've had to wait a while for these."

Harry nodded and thanked Hermione before putting on the glasses. He noticed that the two women holding him were doing so very delicately and said, "Don't worry about me. I got a little roughed up, but there is no major damage done. A potion or two will clear me up."

Tonks pulled out her wand and quickly began casting a few diagnostic charms before saying, "You have a broken rib, and you look like you've been dragged through Diagon alley, but otherwise you're right. Come on; let's get you somewhere comfortable."

Cho and Tonks grabbed Harry by his armpits and hoisted him up as McGonagall conjured a plush chair with armrests for Harry to sit down in. They placed it at the head of the table and Harry sat down slowly, and everyone moved back to their seats. "Ahh, that's a bit better, although my bum is a bit sore. Any chance Madame Pomfrey is around?"

Mrs. Weasley, who until now was sitting in shock, quickly stood and walked next to the cupboards. She moved next to Harry with three vials of potion and placed them on the table. "Poppy was at a seminar this weekend in Manchester and decided to stay an extra day or two to visit family. Fortunately I know a lot about bruises and scrapes after having seven children. These won't get rid of everything, but you will feel a lot better."

Harry took the drinks and gulped them down quickly, gagging as the vile-tasting potions went down. After a few moments a large portion of the bruises and almost all of the cuts faded away, leaving Harry feeling sore but unharmed.

"So, potter," Snape sneered as he moved closer to Harry. "Where have the Dementors been keeping you that prevented you from so much as sending a message that you were alive? Or has your head become so large that you think its beneath you to let others know that you're alive?"

Harry snorted, "Well, it's good to know everyone knows when I escaped the Death Eaters. Of course, it would have been better to find out where they were keeping me before I left, wouldn't it? But, with such incompetence in our spies there is no way that could've happened."

Snape scowled and turned quickly, his cloak billowing softly as he stomped out of the room. Dumbledore looked at the door Snape exited from before saying, "Harry, it is good to see you so well."

Harry motioned for the two women by his side to sit down. They both shook their heads and put their hands on his shoulders before he shrugged and looked at the Dumbledore. "It's good to be back, professor. Is there any chance I can go home soon?"

"We were hoping you could enlighten us as to what has happened to you since we last saw each other before you got yourself settled in upstairs."

Harry turned to Tonks. "Is there any food or tea around? I haven't had anything real to eat in almost a month." Tonks nodded, and she and Mrs. Weasley stepped out of the room. Harry sat staring at Dumbledore, mentally daring the man to use Legilimency on him. They stared at each other for a few minutes before Molly returned with a plate of Fish and Chips as Tonks returned with two cups of tea. Molly and Tonks placed the food and one cup of tea in front of Harry and Tonks began to drink the second cup. "Thanks Tonks, and thank you Mrs. Weasley, but how did you make this so quickly?"

Molly smiled, "It's the leftovers from dinner. Arthur ate at the ministry so we had an extra plate."

Harry thanked her before eating some and taking a sip of tea. "That's really good. It makes me feel a lot better."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Harry–"

"Am I not allowed to eat after two weeks of torture and an extra week of darkness before I'm interrogated by you? Is it so important that you know what horrors I've been through before I can finally get some rest? I haven't sat down properly, eaten, slept comfortably, or seen any of my friends in three weeks and you demand that I tell you everything before I can finally rest. Have I not earned the right to relax, professor?"

"I'm sorry that you feel this way, Harry, but it would be easier if you speak of it now. From what I gather it was a rather… intense experience. Such times are better to talk about while they're fresh in order to avoid you suppressing these memories and making the pain greater when you finally do talk about them."

Harry took a bite out of his fish before saying, "I appreciate your concern, but I've already accepted what has happened in my life so far this month, and have no reason to bury any of my memories. You don't have to worry about me forgetting anything."

Cho squeezed his shoulders as he took another sip of his tea, enjoying the slight hint of honey he tasted. He thanked Tonks for preparing his tea properly before rapidly devouring everything on his plate. The room sat in relative silence, only the sound of Harry's cutlery and the occasional sob from Ginny penetrating the room. Harry looked at the red-haired girl, who was looking at Harry as if he was an illusion she feared will immediately disappeared. He remembered their last conversation when she was talking about how Dean was planning to visit her before they returned to school when he suddenly remembered his conversation with Voldemort. He stood and, after assuring Cho and Tonks that he would be fine moving under his own strength, walked over to Ginny before getting on one knee next to her and grabbing her hand in his own. "I'm sorry for your loss, Ginny. Dean was a good man, and he didn't deserve to die."

Ginny's eyes widened as they welled up with more tears. "How do you know he died? Did, did the D-D-Death Eaters–"

Ginny hiccupped and Harry placed one finger against her lips. "Voldemort saw me before I escaped and told me whose houses he 'visited.' He mentioned the Thomas' and that's how I know."

Ginny began to cry in earnest as she wrapped her arms around Harry, hugging him tightly. Harry squeezed her tightly before rubbing her back and making soothing noises. This went on for a few minutes before he felt the scythe call for him. He touched it briefly, the room becoming colder for a slight moment as he conversed with Death, before he released it and said, "Dean cared for you deeply, you know? I'm sure he was trying to survive in order to see you again. He went down like a hero by fighting five Death Eaters, seriously injuring four of them, before Voldemort arrived and sent him to the other side. Two didn't survive the portkey back to their hideout. He never once cried for mercy or tried to bargain for his life, but stood proudly and fought to keep his family safe, even giving his sister his emergency portkey to ensure she survived while he ran to help his parents. Take comfort in the fact that Dean made sure those two Death Eaters will never hurt anyone again, and died doing everything possible to see you once more."

Ginny began to cry harder for a while as Harry spoke. After a few minutes she finally calmed down before letting him go. "Thank you Harry, for telling me that. I didn't know Jessica survived or that he fought so hard. I really needed that."

Harry wiped her tears from her face before smiling. "I know its hard, but in time you'll let him go and move on. Grieve for him, let him go, and continue living for him. He would want you to move on, just like Sirius would want me to."

Ginny smiled and nodded. Rui Chang, who was sitting directly across from Harry, coughed slightly. "The news regarding Jessica Thomas has not been released for fear that Voldemort would try to kill her again after finding her location. Did the Death Eaters mention anything about the Clearwater's or the Edgecombe Family? What about Aberforth Dumbledore? We'd like to know if there were any survivors."

Harry looked at Rui quizzically. "Hello, my name is Harry Potter. Forgive me if I seem rude, but who are you?"

Rui waved his hand dismissively. "You're not being rude. My name is Rui Chang. I'm Cho's father."

Harry nodded before saying, "Well, Voldemort didn't give me details about the attacks. And the Death Eaters interrogating me never spoke about anything like that, so I wouldn't know."

Rui turned his head slightly. "Then how did you know about Jessica Thomas?"

Harry thought for a moment, trying to phrase his response without blatantly telling everyone about the Grim Reaper. Finally, he said, "I escaped the dungeon Voldemort held me in a week ago with some Dementors. I learned about the Thomas' fate with them. They know all about death."

Cho moved next to Harry and said, "I wasn't supposed to say anything, but Marietta sent me a letter yesterday saying her family is alive. Luckily Marietta's mom was able to activate an emergency Floo connection and have everyone escape before the wards were broken. They're going to announce Marietta's survival before school starts so she can go back, but her parents are going into hiding."

Harry grabbed Cho's hand for a moment and squeezed it. She smiled at him and led him back to his seat, while Rui stared at them intently. Dumbledore, who was watching the two closely, asked, "So you were held by Dementors for the past week? How are you still standing without chocolate after spending so much time with them?"

Harry stood and made his way back to his seat. After making himself comfortable he ate a little more food before speaking. "Dementors need to feed upon human emotions in order to survive. They don't do it out of malice or gluttony, but for survival. Their master has shown me a way to go beyond the pain so that I no longer feel them."

Dumbledore smiled, "Such a technique would be very useful. How do you do it? Can you teach this method to others?"

Harry shook his head. "The process can be fatal, and only a handful of people can actually do it. I don't want to risk everyone's lives trying to see who can and who can't."

Dumbledore asked, "Who is their master, Harry? Can you rely on his word so strongly in this regard?"

"I think so, considering I almost died in my attempt. He is a smart man, Professor, and knows what he's talking about. He wouldn't lie to me about that. He doesn't want to cause unnecessary deaths by misinformation or holding something back, after all."

Dumbledore flinched at the implication while Harry continued to eat. He finished quickly before continuing. "So you said earlier that you wanted me to stay here at the Burrow. I would love to stay here, but I would much rather go Godric's Hollow, my parents home, and get some rest in a quieter place. No offense Mrs. Weasley, but this house does get quite lively with so many people around."

Dumbledore stated, "We feel that it would be better if you stayed here, since access to Godric's Hollow is too limited to provide adequate safety for you."

Harry smirked, "I would've thought that the limited access to my house would make it more secure, not less."

"If there are not enough people to protect you then it is a danger to let you stay there. What if someone attempts to break the wards and blocks the Floo connection?"

"Since there are no Death Eaters that can access my house, there is no need to worry about anyone knowing about it, is there? You just don't want me to go somewhere that you can't watch me."

Dumbledore moved next to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. "Harry–"

Harry stood abruptly and quickly stepped away from Dumbledore. "I told you not to touch me! I cannot trust you or anything you've supposedly done for me, so don't look for my sympathy when you try to justify yourself. You leave me with the Dursley's for ten years without ever having someone check up on me. You then lead me from one dangerous escapade to another for the first two years of my life, then use the third to withhold information about my godfather that would have been useful to know. Did you think that I wouldn't have realized that you deliberately led me to protect the Sorcerer's stone and fight the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets through your hints and advice? It took me a while but I noticed it after I remembered your little statement about the Room of Requirement in the Yule Ball. Hermione was worried about Dobby showing us this room until I told her you knew about it."

Dumbledore held up one hand. "Harry, you're reading far too much into my actions. I have not meant for you to deal with these things on your own. I–"

Harry snarled, "I'm not done yet, professor. You never told me about Sirius or the fact that he was my godfather, and I had to find out through newspapers, people mentioning him briefly, eavesdropping on Hogwarts Professors talking to Madame Rosemerta, and from Sirius Black himself. After finding out he was innocent you didn't offer to help us, but rather advised us on how to help him ourselves! Fourth year you left me alone, but you placed whom you thought was Moody in a position to help me if the need arose. Finally, in fifth year, I realized how much you dangled me everywhere due to your complete avoidance of me! When the strings were finally cut, I realized how much of a puppet I was! I want to go home and stay out of your clutches because I can't afford to be used again. Too many people get hurt when you pull my strings, and I would prefer to be left on my own."

Amelia Bones stood at this point and said, "Mr. Potter, please calm down. I know you're angry, but you've been through some troubling ordeals and you should get some rest. Please, take a night or two to rest and we'll all reconvene and talk about this later."

Harry seemed to deflate a bit before leaning heavily on the wall and reaching out for Cho. She quickly moved to help him stand upright. "You're right, Madame Bones. In that case, I'm going home. Remus and Tonks can get in to see me, and I'll key in the Weasley's tomorrow." Harry turned to Dumbledore. "If anyone else wishes to visit me just send an express owl and I'll see what I can do, but I don't want my house to become some sort of _clubhouse_ so we'll have to meet elsewhere. I don't want my home to have people constantly coming in or out."

Dumbledore groaned silently as Tonks moved to help Cho lead Harry towards the Living room. The two women looked at each other behind Harry's head, gauging each other's faces and communicating in a way that only women seemed capable of doing. Harry stopped by Madame Bones and said a formal goodbye to the woman before turning to Shacklebolt. "You okay, Shack? You looked like you saw a ghost when I first arrived. Hell, you look like you've seen one now!"

Shacklebolt chuckled, "It's just that after seeing that flame, and the owls flew in and began screeching…"

Harry chuckled, "I didn't know you were a gypsy, Shack. It was the Dementors powers, not a death omen. I'm sorry about all of that. You should come over tonight. I'd like o know a bit about the Roma."

Harry quickly sent out a Legilimency probe to Shacklebolt's outer conscience. The man quickly began putting up barriers until Harry transmitted a message into his head and removing the probe. Shacklebolt looked surprised for a moment before smirking and nodding. Harry quickly sent a few more probes to Hermione, Ginny, and Ron, before turning to Remus and, while relaying the last mental message to him, spoke aloud. "Hey Remus, are you coming with us to take me home? It might keep Dumbledore from complaining so much about me being unprotected."

Remus shook his head, "Alice isn't allowed into your place. I can't leave her behind–"

"I'll go through first and key her in," Harry interrupted. "I have full say in who's allowed in my house, and I say she can come." He turned next to the quiet woman standing next to him. She seemed pretty, with light brown hair that had a few threads of white within. Harry grabbed her hand gently before kissing the back of it and saying, "Hello, Miss Alice. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Harry Potter, Remus' friend and successor in all things mischievous. I hope to see you at my home soon."

Harry spoke with Alice for a moment before noticing Cho's parents standing next to him. He stopped speaking with Alice and turned to them. "Hello, Mr. Chang. It's good to meet you."

Rui nodded, "This certainly isn't how I expected our first encounter to be, but I must say it was interesting. Is there any chance to meet soon to talk?" His eyes flickered over Cho and Tonks. "I daresay that we have quite a bit to talk about."

Harry nodded and shook the man's hand. They spent a few minutes discussing various appointment times before Rui was satisfied. "Very well, Mr. Potter. I will see you on Friday afternoon at Gringotts. Come along, Cho. We must be getting home."

Cho's arm tightened on Harry's shoulder. "Can I stay with Harry for a while, father? I just want to make sure he's alright."

Rui was about to respond before Remus said, "Harry's house is one of the most heavily warded in Europe, and with Tonks and I as chaperoned you can be assured that she will be carefully watched and protected. We' won't allow anything to happen to your daughter."

Rui bristled for a moment before saying, "Very well. Cho, you may stay but you must be home by ten o' clock. If you're even one second late you will not be allowed to leave home until its time for you to go back to school."

After the Chang's left, Harry and Cho grabbed their owls before leaving with Remus, Alice, Tonks, and Cho. Amelia Bones and Kingsley spoke to McGonagall before quickly making their exit. Finally, Dumbledore made his farewells to the Weasley's and apparated away, thinking intently on everything Harry said.

_**

* * *

**_

Bellatrix sat in her room at Voldemort's hideout, writing in her journal. She brushed her hair aside with one finger as she pulled her silk robe over her pale legs, trying to keep them warm. She was upset that Harry, her chance to escape this group, has disappeared for a week. She tried sending him letters in the past week, only to have them return unopened. Luckily, Voldemort and the other Death Eaters hadn't noticed.

She stood and put on her slippers before walking across the room into a large bathroom. An ornate tub that could probably fit four people sat in the middle of the room filled with hot water. She removed her gown and her knickers and quickly lowered her beautiful, shivering body into the bath. She dunked her hair in the water to get it wet before leaning back against the side and making herself comfortable. She enjoyed taking baths, since they were the few times where she felt alone and comfortable. This was also the only time where she felt safe.

She was never safe, though. Voldemort had a tendency to surprise her with another raid, or another risky mission since she was so good at her job. Luckily, he wasn't at the point where he felt her loyalty was wavering. If he did, then she would be subjected to violation and abuse from the inner circle, which already had problems with the fact that the one they helped "break in" was doing a better job than them. She snorted, _I'm a better Death Eater than they'll ever be, and I can't stand being here!_

She groaned, realizing that her chances to be free of these confines were nearly non-existent with the disappearance of Harry Potter. He opened the small box containing her chance at freedom only to run away with it in the arms of a Dementor. She didn't even know if he was still alive. She knew how dangerous the creatures were, and the chance of Harry surviving any encounter with them was slim. Still, if bad comes to worse she could always flush out a fly and demand help in escaping. She didn't want to do that, though, since the possibility of her being double-crossed was too high to risk everything on. With Harry, the risk was small enough to believe it possible, yet large enough that she knew to take it seriously. Now, her path to freedom without Harry looked as impossible as a House-elf's chances of becoming Minister of Magic.

But did she really want freedom anymore? She knew that Voldemort was not a Pureblood now, and that he was only using them. But she did not really wish to fight for him anyway, so was there so much of a difference? If she stayed where she was and Voldemort won his little revolution, then she would be placed high in the new regime and be left alone once they secured a firm hold on Britain. But if they lost, or if Bellatrix was double-crossed, then it was just two simple words or a lifetime or a rather simple kiss that would end her existence.

Bellatrix stood to get out of the shower in a very somber mood. Her shoulders sagged slightly as she patted her milky white skin dry, and her face seemed slightly crestfallen as she put on a clean nightgown and her silk robe. She stepped into her bedroom and paused once she noticed a snowy white owl sitting in her room. It was strange that an owl was there because it was not time for post, and her room was warded to prevent anything alive to enter her room. She looked at the creature curiously as the Owl raised its beak at her, with almost an air of smug superiority, and stuck out its leg to reveal the parchment that it held. Suddenly she remembered her last meeting with Harry. _When you see a white Owl…_ She quickly untied the letter and read through it four times before she allowed an almost insane smile overtake her features.

_To my Venom,_

_Do you like my little codename for you? If not, let me know and I'll change it. I know you've probably been worried about me – what with my disappearing without a trace for the past week – but I just wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten you. I promised to help you, and that is what I intend to do if you're still willing. If you do, then send a short reply and I'll fill you in on how you'll pass information. If you already have a journal, then let me know. I'll explain why later. Don't worry, my Venom, your "Master" will soon be incapacitated enough to ensure your escape._

_With Hope,_

_The HP_


	10. Revelations

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all Non-OC characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
****Chapter 10: Revelations  
****By: Nanio-713**

It was two hours after Harry and his friends arrived at Godric's Hollow. Harry, looking healthier after having a shower and changing, was sleeping in his room as Remus and Alice sat talking in the living room. Tonks and Cho sat in the kitchen, studiously ignoring each other as Cho washed some dishes and Tonks made Tea. They served some to Remus and Alice, then returned to the kitchen after saying that they left their cups behind. Once in the kitchen, they sat at the small round table and stared at each other.

Cho took a sip of tea. "It's good to finally talk to you alone without you interrogating me, although I would rather be watching over of Harry right now. We never really got to talk the last time we met."

Tonks shifted nervously. "Harry's told me about you too. I've heard nothing but good things. Sorry about how I treated you last time."

Cho nodded. "It's alright, no harm was done." Cho paused, "So tell me; why is a twenty three-year-old Auror hanging around a sixteen-year-old Gryffindor so much? I can't imagine what you'd have in common beyond fighting."

Tonks frowned. "I was Harry's bodyguard over the summer, and I taught him Legilimency and some Auror training, although we didn't get anywhere before he was kidnapped. Why? What's wrong with that?"

"You seem to be very attached to my boyfriend. As Harry's girlfriend, I'm allowed to be a bit concerned when another girl seems to be spending an alarming amount of time hovering around him."

"I don't _hover_ around anyone. Besides, Harry and I have a special relationship. We've been through things-"

"Harry told me all about the Legilimency accident." Cho waved her hand dismissively. "That explains how you know him so well, but it tells me nothing about why you always seem to have a special interest in him. When you were interrogating me like I kidnapped Harry; it didn't seem like the kind of thing you would do for anyone who's just a friend."

"Harry's more than just a friend to me." Tonks put down her teacup and looked at her hands. Her hair changed to the spiky pink hairstyle she usually sports, and her eyes changed to a warm mix of blue and green. She looked at Tonks and stared directly into the younger girls eyes. "That 'accident' you mentioned earlier left me and Harry with full knowledge of each other's lives. I know everything that's happened in his life down to the dirtiest little secret, and he knows the same about me. We trust each other with that knowledge. Harry's like my family now; I couldn't imagine not having him nearby anymore."

Cho's eyes narrowed to the point where they were only slits. "Then why do you try and hold him so tenderly? Why do you look like you want to just grab him and snog the daylights out of him without any care about who's around?"

Tonks' eyes widened and her upper body seemed to snap back. "I do not look at Harry like that!"

"Bullshit," Cho hissed. "I remember how you looked when you were questioning me, and I saw your expression when you figured out Harry was okay. You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Tonks took a deep breath as she leaned back into her chair. "I care about Harry. I love him in a way that you will not understand, because it's not exactly normal. Not many people create such an intimate bond as Harry and I have, and most people will never want to. Harry and I don't want a relationship together because of what's happened to us, and he wants to be with you. I have my own boyfriend and I'm not looking for a replacement. Yes, Harry and I care for each other. Yes, that feeling is not strictly platonic. But no, I don't want Harry as a significant other, and he doesn't want me to be one either."

Cho glared at Tonks, who stared back in an almost sympathetic way that seemed to only enrage the girl further. "I really like Harry. He's told me a lot about himself that I'm sure he hasn't told most other people. Harry willingly trusts me with his secrets, and I've never had to take them from him with some spell. You may have learned all about him because of your training, but I don't think it's fair to have to compete for his attention with a woman who used magic to get into his head and heart!"

"I did no such thing!" Tonks hissed. "Harry and I were close long before that Legilimency accident, and we're still close now. Just because you're jealous of me isn't going to stop Harry and I from being there for each other. He may like you, but if he had to choose between the two of us I think I know who'll win."

Cho's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"

"Of course not. I'm just saying: regardless of how you feel about me, I'm one of Harry's closest friends and it'll take more than your current relationship to get rid of me." Tonks stood and placed her teacup in the sink. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go back and check on Harry."

_**

* * *

**_

Harry woke up shortly before everyone was scheduled to arrive. He walked into his living room aided by Tonks and Cho. Once he was comfortable, he sat talking with Alice and Remus while Cho and Tonks left to make him a snack. He wondered why they both of them went, but pushed it out of his head as he told Alice about Ron and Hermione, and how they became best friends. Harry thought Alice was a nice woman: She was polite, curious, and open minded about a few schemes that Harry told her he planned to do this semester. She even enjoyed listening to his stories about the trouble he's gotten into at Hogwarts! Harry enjoyed talking to Alice. It was like he created an instant bond with her, as if she was a long lost aunt or something.

Harry, Remus, and Alice continued chatting for a while until Tonks walked back into the room, a small scowl on her face. Cho followed shortly after looking rather upset, but she smiled when she saw Harry, handed him a small sandwich, and sat next to him. She grabbed his hand with hers and intertwined their fingers. "Harry, you really should be getting some more sleep. You said yourself that you haven't had any proper rest and one hour of sleep isn't good enough."

Harry waved his other hand dismissively. "I'm fine. The Dementors may not have allowed me any luxuries, but I'm not as tired as I look. Besides, our guests will be here soon and I want to get this over with quickly."

"Why are people coming over tonight?" Cho asked. Gandalf flew into the room at that point and landed next to Cho, hooting softly. Cho let go of Harry and picked up her owl. "Sorry Gandalf, but I don't have any food with me." She cooed. Noticing that Hedwig didn't fly into the room with Gandalf she asked, "Harry, where is Hedwig?"

Harry swallowed the bite of sandwich he was eating. "I sent her to deliver a message shortly after I woke up."

"To whom?" Cho asked.

Harry was spared the necessity of answering when his Floo connection opened and Shacklebolt, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, McGonagall, and Bill Weasley walked into the room. They all greeted Harry and either sat or stood nearby. Once everyone settled down, Harry spoke.

"Hello everyone," he began. "I asked you all because I can trust you. Dumbledore and I are out of sorts right now, and I need all of you to make a choice: I will have to defeat Voldemort, and if things start getting messy and I need help, will you follow me or listen to Dumbledore?"

Remus asked, "Why does it have to be you that defeats Voldemort? Dumbledore has faced Dark Wizards before, so why can't we trust him to handle it now."

Harry let go of Cho's hands and folded them in his lap. "Because something in Dumbledore has changed. He's not as willing to take the life of one so deeply filled with evil. He seeks redemption for Voldemort, and its compromising his judgment and my life. If you don't wish to turn your back on him when he and I part ways, then you're free to leave this meeting."

Bill nodded before he said, "I'm not that deep in order business, and I don't think I'm ready for this kind of thing. I'll be back around 10 o'clock to pick up Ron and Ginny."

McGonagall stepped forward as Bill walked out of the room. "Mr. Potter – Harry – I will help you when I can, but I am in the Headmaster's employ and do not wish to compromise any work he and I do together, whether it is in or out of Hogwarts. I will help you when I can, but I cannot follow you in the way that you wish."

Harry nodded and bid farewell to the Deputy Headmistress, then waited for anyone else to speak. He looked at Kingsley Shacklebolt for a moment, who seemed lost in thought. After a few minutes, the large man turned to Harry. "I like Dumbledore. He's a good man, a fine strategist, and the most Powerful mage I've encountered. But, I think this fight is yours more than his, so I'm willing to follow your path. Tonks trusts you, and I trust her judgment."

Harry nodded and turned to his friends for their responses. When they didn't speak, he leaned back and sighed. "Okay, I'm about to say a few things that cannot leave this room, so unless you're beside me one hundred percent I'd suggest you leave now. I know you're behind me so you don't need to hear this, but it will help you understand why I am so calm right now."

When no one left, he continued. "All right, the truth is that I was captured and tortured by Lucius Malfoy and Rudolphus Lestrange for information. I held out until they called in a few reinforcements."

Harry told the group about held by his captors, lying only about the amount of people who helped torture him. He didn't wish to reveal Bellatrix, so he told them a small group of neophytes came with her to help "Break him in" and that he convinced one to switch sides. He then told them about how Voldemort arrived before he could escape, and his encounter with the Dementor (although he did not tell them how he performed Legilimency on it). "After I escaped the Dungeon, I didn't spend a week with Dementors. That was actually more along the lines of a few hours."

"Then where were you?" Hermione asked.

"I was in a special chamber, speaking with the Dementor's master. Time was more unstable there, so a week passed by while we felt only hours."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Remus finally asked, "Who is their Master, Harry?"

Harry leaned back into the couch for a moment. He questioned himself about whether he truly wished for the cat to be out of the bag. _Were they ready for this? Could they handle it? Would they believe it?_ Harry shook off his thoughts. He already made his decision, and he was going to stick with it until the end. "Their master is the Grim Reaper, who's agreed to help me defeat Voldemort."

Everyone shuttered and fell into a heavy silence except Ron, who laughed nervously. "You're kidding, right mate? The Grim reaper doesn't exist. Even if he did exist and wanted to help, he wouldn't allow the Dementors join with You-Know-Who. He would have left them with the Ministry, or sent them elsewhere."

"He does exist, else why would I have said it was him? He told me he sent the Dementors with Voldemort," Another shutter ran through the group, "in order to watch him and make sure they keep the deaths to a controlled amount."

Hermione wrung her hands together before asking, "If the Grim Reaper wishes to help us, then why doesn't he just go kill Voldemort himself?"

"Apparently, the activation of the Prophecy at the Ministry doesn't allow him to take my soul or Voldemort's. Only we can send each other to the afterlife."

"I don't know, Harry." Shacklebolt ran his hand over his scalp and turned to face Harry. "No one really knows what that prophecy said. Can we really trust the Grim Reaper's help? We've all heard the old folktales, and working with him never seems as simple as this."

Harry hesitated for a moment. "I know the prophecy, and I think that it fits very well with Death's assessment. As for help; he's given me partial control over the Dementors, and he's given me a weapon to help fight Voldemort. I think that calls for allowing him some trust."

Everyone in the room suddenly screamed, "What!" and began demanding to see whatever the weapon was. Harry refused, knowing how everyone would handle the effects of the scythe, saying that it was too powerful and that he didn't have enough control over it to guarantee everyone's safety. Remus, who until now was surprisingly calm, scowled and said, "If you can't control this weapon, then what good is it? You'll probably kill yourself with it before Voldemort has a chance too? If this weapon is as unstable as you claim, then I'll not have you anywhere near it."

Harry stood, aggravated that he was being treated like an immature child. "This weapon is not a threat to me, but to those standing nearby. I don't want to hurt any of you!"

"We're old enough to take care of ourselves," Shacklebolt retorted. "We just want to make sure that you're safe, Harry. How can you train if this weapon can't be around others? No one is going to let you just run off and train on some mountaintop, especially with Voldemort alive and running about. You're going back to Hogwarts in a week, and if it is too large a threat to the students then you can't use it there. You won't be able to train with it, and its worth in this war goes from unknown to none."

Harry sat still for a moment, his thoughts floating about like a quiet storm in his brain. He was insulted at Shacklebolt's statements that his newfound powers could prove useless – although he understood where the Auror was coming from – and that any of them would be able to stop him from wielding his scythe. _They'll never be able to take it away from me. They'll probably die in the attempt._ Still, Harry agreed that if he could not control the scythe then he can't use it in Hogwarts.

Harry released Cho's hand, stood, and took a few steps away from everyone so that he was standing in front of the door to the kitchen. "Alright, this will be my second time doing this, so I'm only going to do it for a short amount of time. After this, my training will be alone to ensure everyone's safety."

Harry held out his hand in front of him. He felt a small tug on his arm before he felt the tingle of his new power. He grasped onto it and breathed deeply, causing a cold wind to flow from his lips. He smiled as he became more invigorated and called fourth the scythe, which appeared after a quick blast of black fire. Harry brought the scythe to rest beside him and gazed around the room. Everyone seemed to carry an expression of shock besides Tonks, who looked at him with sadness etched into her face. Here eyes were nearly brimming with tears, and her lower lip was quivering. Harry watched her for a moment before turning to Cho, whose mouth was open in surprise. He was about to talk again when he heard a small shriek and turned to face Ginny, whose face was ashen and body was swooning. He dropped the scythe on the floor and ran to Ginny, engulfing her in a hug and murmuring softly. She screamed and fought against him with an intensity Harry found surprising, but after a few moments she stopped fighting and began crying like a small child. Harry comforted her as best he could, considering he was never very good at these situations, before Remus gave her some chocolate from the kitchen and began to calm her down.

Harry took a step back, silently thirsting for more of the power he received from the scythe. It was as addictive as air, but he couldn't risk hurting his friends just to hold onto the scythe. His breath was slightly fast and his eyes never left Ginny's shaking form until she no longer needed to be helped.

When she finally regained her composure, everyone stared at Harry as if he grew two heads. No one sat back down, so everyone was shuffling around to get a good look at Harry over everyone else's shoulders. Alice, who was the closest to him, smirked slightly before it melted from her face. "Well," she eventually said. "If that's what you're planning on using on Voldemort, then I figure you'll have a sporting chance."

"That's a very dangerous weapon," Shacklebolt added. "Do you know how to wield one of those things? Just holding it and feeding on the Death Eater's won't be enough, you know."

The spectacled boy shrugged. "I'm learning how to use it. Death will be training me, in a fashion." Harry turned around to retrieve his scythe and continued. "No, I won't be sharing how."

Shacklebolt chuckled. "No, I figured you wouldn't. Besides, you've shared enough for one night."

The next hour went by in a blur. After Harry sent back the scythe to wherever it stayed, Remus helped Ginny into the kitchen and practically force fed her a large chunk of dark chocolate. Ginny reluctantly ate the chocolate while everyone watched quietly, aside from the sound of everyone breaking and chewing chocolate, as Ginny ate and regained her strength. Bill arrived at this time, and helped all of the younger guests return to the burrow. Cho left shortly after, telling Harry that while she won't see him until school started – It was 10:30 at this point, and her father would not forgive her returning so late – she would write. Everyone else trickled out until there was only Harry and Tonks sitting next to each other on the couch.

The two of them sat in silence, glad that all of the excitement was done. Harry didn't feel the need to say anything, and Tonks understood Harry enough to trust in his recent decisions. After a while, though, Harry voiced one thought. "So why haven't I met this Alexander bloke? I noticed he wasn't here."

Tonks tossed her legs over the armrest and placed her head in Harry's lap. Her pink hair grew until it was a foot long, and didn't answer until Harry began absent-mindedly playing with her hair. "Alex doesn't know about the Order, and I don't want him to. He's more of a lover than a fighter." Harry chuckled as Tonks closed her eyes and asked, "So who is the real spy you acquired?"

Harry's chuckle became a full-blown laugh. "You saw through me that quickly?"

When Harry's laughing fit calmed down, she replied. "Of course, Harry. I knew as soon as you brought up the Neophytes. Your eyes shifted to meet mine, and I realized that if there were newbie's around you, we'd have gotten word of you sooner. Now, who did you recruit? It must be someone important."

Harry nodded. "I can't say right now." Tonks looked up at him and he shook his head. "Its important that no one knows exactly who is helping me, as much for my safety as theirs. If anyone knew…"

Tonks shuttered at the implication of danger, but didn't press for more information. She just laid back and closed her eyes, reveling in the knowledge that Harry was back.


	11. Negotiations

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all Non-OC characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**WARNING:** This Chapter is all dialogue, with no action. For all of those hoping to see someone getting their butt whooped, this is not your kind of chapter. However, a lot of things get beaten out of the way as if they were between Ron and his food. While I would've rather not covered all of this in just one chapter, they needed to be done with before Harry returns to Hogwarts. It seems a bit rushed to me, but I believe that it was necessary.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 11: Negotiations  
By: Nanio-713**

_You would rather read a book then go for a moonlight stroll?_

_**Moonlight strolls are so cliché. If a guy ever asked me for a nighttime stroll on a first date, I would laugh in his face.**_

_Yet a trip shopping in Diagon Alley makes perfect sense? I can see that; It's more fun, more people, and less awkward._

_**Plus, there's the whole intimacy issue. A walk at night is good for lovers, or people who have been together long enough to realize that they really like each other. Its too personal for a couple that is just starting. It's like feeling a girl up before ever giving her a kiss.**_

_Then you're saying that most of Hogwarts students are choosing horrible first dates? Cho, the nighttime stroll is the first – or second – thing everyone in school does on a date. Are you saying that if I had asked you out like that, you would have laughed at me?_

_**You would've never asked me out like that. You invited me to Hogsmeade on our first date, and I think that you would've met me at the library for our second.**_

_I never thought of that. Actually, I never thought about a real second date at all before Umbridge ruined the DA. Anyway, when we get back to Hogwarts I think we should do something like ride our brooms together._

**_Harry, that's sweet but we should find out what our schedules are before setting up another date._**

_I'm not saying that we should set anything in stone, but we should recognize that we want to do something together, as a couple, soon after we get back to Hogwarts. I mean, we've talked a lot but I've only seen you twice this summer. I want to see you again._

**_I do too. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. We'll have plenty of time to spend together._**

_I just want to make sure things go right between us this time. Last year we hardly saw each other. It was like we weren't really dating._

**_We hardly knew each other back then. It's not surprising that happened. It's a common theme in Hogwarts. Most couples wait until the summer before they get to know each other better, since they don't have schedules to get in the way. We just didn't make it to that point._**

_If we didn't, then what are we doing now?_

Harry paused for a moment, knowing that Cho was probably giggling at his little flirt. He was about to write more when he heard a knock on the door and Tonks walked in. "Harry, do you have a moment?"

Harry nodded and wrote a quick good-bye to Cho. After closing his book, he sat upright on his bed and replied. "Sure Tonks, what's up?"

Tonks sat down on Harry's bed and smoothed her hands over her tight jeans. "Are you sure you want to do these meetings today? I mean, you've hardly had any chance to rest since you got back and you leave for Hogwarts in two days."

Harry nodded. "Yeah Tonks, you know that. All I've been doing this week has been studying the law, buying stuff for school, and training with my scythe. I think that I'm well enough to go to Gringott's and meet with Mr. Chang."

"Yeah, but what about meeting with Dumbledore? You two didn't part on friendly terms, Harry. He'll come in looking to either rebuild your relationship or burn it and start a new one. And trust me, the new friendship won't allow you to do half of what you want."

Harry sighed. "Tonks, Dumbledore isn't going to do anything that drastic. I asked him to meet to apologize for what I did at the Burrow. While what I said was true, he didn't deserve that kind of treatment the moment I got back. I'm just going to apologize and let him know that, while I wish to be independent from him in my life, he is still my headmaster and I will still need his advice and help in lots of things. Plus, I want to show him that this deal I have with the Dementors isn't going to turn me dark."

"Just don't go in there thinking it's going to be a walk in the park. Dumbledore has been in the political game longer than you've been alive, so expect to give some compromises in return for his help, especially since he doesn't know what your 'deal' entails." Tonks advised. "The same thing applies with Rui Chang. He's a political genius, and he's usually 3 moves ahead of his competition. He's going to want a few things from you."

Harry continued discussing his plans for each meeting with Tonks as he changed into clothes more suitable for his meetings, such as his custom tailored grey robes. Tonks blushed slightly as Harry changed right in front of her, but made no move to leave. She and Harry didn't feel weird being so close to each other after their legilimency lessons.

After Harry changed and grabbed a bag with some legal documents, e offered Tonks his arm. "Come on, Tonks. You and I need to grab Remus and prove that I'm able to handle myself in the real world."

* * *

Harry, Remus, and Tonks sat in a small office inside Gringott's bank, sipping their tea softly while waiting for Mr. Chang to arrive. They didn't wait long before the clock rang once and the door opened to admit Rui Chang and his wife. The two sat directly across from Harry and reached over to shake his hands.

Rui pulled out some documents and separated them into two piles. "Before we begin, Harry, I would like to state that your… relationship… with our daughter will not affect any of your negotiations with me. Also, I was hoping you could stay a little longer than expected to talk a bit more, of certain personal matters."

"Sure," Harry replied, trying to look professional. "That's all understandable and possible." After a quick nod on all parts Harry served the Chang's tea and shifted through his papers. "Mr. Chang, as you know I fired my representative for the Potter seat in the Wizengamot, and you hold the Black seat in my name. I was hoping to understand a bit more of your political beliefs to see if you are the right person to keep representing me. If so, then I'd also like to talk about offering you the Potter seat representational position."

Rui nodded and waved his hand in a 'bring it on' gesture. "Alright, then. What would you like to know?"

"Alright, first off: what are your views on the control of magical creatures, particularly in regards to humanoids such as goblins, house elves, werewolves, and Veela?"

The meeting continued for four hours with Harry and Rui discussing their views on magical creatures, international affairs, and several legislations currently being discussed and voted on in the Wizengamot. Neither showed any exhaustion from their debates, and did not actively attempt to convince the other that the other was wrong. There were several points, such as their discussions on programs to remove stigma from beliefs regarding half-breeds, where they absolutely refused to see eye to eye.

After several hours Rui finally put together a series of documents and clipped them together. "All right, so we are in agreement. I will owl you whenever a new piece of legislation is in discussion, and you will respond with your advice about what to vote for as your representative. If you do not respond within two weeks, then I will vote based on my own opinions. In return I will receive a higher wage for being your representative for two seats now instead of one."

Harry nodded as he signed the bottom of the parchment with his quill. "It will be interesting to work with you, Mr. Chang. I hope our business will be pleasant and free from outside entanglements."

Rui agreed as he signed the papers as well. Both men finally sat back and visibly relaxed before Harry turned to Tonks and spoke. "Hey, can you two let Dumbledore know that I'll be able to speak with him in about an hour while I talk to Mr. and Mrs. Chang privately?"

Remus glanced at Rui and Ann Change and hesitated, before being nudged by Tonks. He sighed and nodded to Harry before walking out of the room. Silence reigned for a few moments before Harry took a sip of tea and leaned back in his chair. "So, Rui Chang… interesting name. Isn't that a Japanese name?"

Rui smiled. "My Grandfather was half Japanese, and I was named after him."

Harry smiled and the room became silent once more. After a few minutes, Harry couldn't stand the silence hanging in the room. "I'm just curious. So… what were you hoping to talk to me about?"

"Well," Rui responded. "I was asking my daughter about what happened the night you returned to your friends, since she returned home late. And she told us that you were planning to remain a major figure in the war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Ann leaned forward and laid her hands upon the table. "We were wondering how much danger this could put upon our daughter. Will she be a target for any dangerous plots, and if so, will she be protected?"

"I won't lie to you, Mr. and Mrs. Chang. By being in a relationship with me, harming Cho will be high on Voldemort's priorities. First, it is in order to weaken my morale. Secondly, he will want to take away another person that I love. And finally, he will do it as an example of what will happen to those who associate with me. However, I will not allow Voldemort to take her without a fight.

Harry stood up and began to pace along his side of the table. "As you may well know, last year I created a group known as the Defense Association, A.K.A. Dumbledore's Army. This should show that I am more than capable of protecting her and myself, and that I will be teaching your daughter how to protect herself when she is alone. Also, Dumbledore is planning on bringing in a few Auror's from the Ministry to increase Hogwarts' defenses. I know a few of these Aurors, and they will also help me with the DA this year. So while she will be in some danger, I am doing the best I can to protect her."

Harry sat back down, calmer now that he explained his plans for keeping Cho safe, when Rui spoke. "Would any of this be necessary if she wasn't in a relationship with you?"

Harry grinned. "Your daughter began talking with me earlier this summer with the intention of only being my friend. After we decided to be more than that, she admitted to me that she would've stayed in the DA regardless of what happened between us. So, while her skills wouldn't be as necessary as they are now, she made her choice before we became a couple. Your daughter would still be in danger for being a part of a group that wishes to oppose Voldemort." The Chang's shuddered when Harry said the Dark Lord's name. "The possibility of her safety being compromised has only increased a little more now that she's dating me."

Ann Chang, clearly not enjoying the idea of her daughter being in danger, cleared her throat and drank some tea. "Alright, Harry, we understand what you are saying. However, that doesn't mean we like it. Is there any way to keep our daughter out of this fight?"

Harry shook his head. "You know your daughter wouldn't stand for that. She's too independent to let someone make that kind of choice for her."

Ann nodded before blurting, "And what are your intentions in regards to our daughter?"

Harry's eyebrow rose. "I like your daughter. She is kind, intelligent, athletic, and forceful. She and I just want to date for now, and then decide later whether or not we want to continue seeing each other."

"So you have no ulterior motives?"

"No, Mrs. Chang. I've never been in a relationship before, and Cho is the first girl to admit that she likes me. I like her as well, so just acting on what we feel. I do not plan on doing anything inappropriate with your daughter."

Rui smiled. "That's what they always say, but then something happens and everyone yells that 'it was an accident,' or some such nonsense."

Harry nodded. "True, but you can't hold it against me that I don't know if something inappropriate is going to happen, because trying to guess whether I can remember not do something when I won't be thinking straight is really hard, especially since there's no guarantee that I'll even be in that kind of position."

Ann laughed. "Harry, we're not asking you to perform divination for us. We're asking you whether we can trust you with our daughter."

"Well, you can trust me as much as any other honorable man can be trusted with an intelligent girl."

"Then not at all, then." Ann's eyes sparkled. "Alright, Harry, since you haven't given us a reason not to trust you, we will take your word that you will watch over our daughter."

Harry crossed his hands on the table. "I will do all that I can not to abuse your trust, Mrs. Chang."

* * *

"Welcome, Harry." Professor Dumbledore smiled as Harry walked into his office. "Please have a seat."

Harry walked into the office and looked around. The portraits were all awake and watching in curiosity as Harry looked at the odd gadgets that were placed in various spots in the Headmaster's office. Harry glanced at Fawkes' perch, idly noticing that it was empty before finally taking a seat in front of the Headmaster.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore." Harry bowed slightly. "Remus and Tonks are waiting for me by the Gargoyle, and I know you have a meeting with the new minister soon, so I'll be brief."

Dumbledore smoothed his hand over his beard. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that, Harry. I Floo called the minister this morning and rescheduled it for tomorrow."

"With all due respect, Headmaster, I already knew that." Harry smirked. "I stopped by the Ministry to deliver some documents stating that Mr. Chang will be my Wizengamot representative, and ran into the Minister's Senior Advisor. He told me about the change in scheduling – rather rudely – and I told him that I would only take a few minutes and that the two of you can still have your meeting. The Minister of Magic will be here soon, but by then our business will be done."

Dumbledore's jaw nearly dropped. "Harry-"

Harry held up his hand. "Please, Headmaster, if I don't tell you this soon the Minister will arrive before I'm done talking. I just wanted to apologize for my timing earlier this week. I should not have yelled at you, nor listed our past arguments, immediately after coming back from the Dementor's. It was rude to do so."

"Harry, you were recovering from your time with the Dementor's. There is no need to worry about what you said to me that night. I understand what its like to see so many people after such a trying experience. I don't hold any of what you said against you."

"I'm afraid you misunderstand me, Headmaster. I meant everything I said that night. It just wasn't the proper place to talk about it. And although you can give me all of your justifications and clarifications and all sorts of other –ations, I don't think they will do much good. At this point I think that, as you are still my headmaster and the head of the order of the Phoenix, I will treat you with respect. I just came here for two reasons: To see if we can work together in this war, and to ask for a show of faith in this matter."

Dumbledore's eyes widened as Harry spoke, and he was practically speechless when the Boy-Who-Lived finished. After taking in what Harry said, he quickly replied. "I do believe that we can work together, my boy, but what do you mean by a show of faith. I don't see any reason for such a necessary precaution."

Harry crossed his legs and placed his right hand on his knee. "To state only one of many, many reasons, is that you rebuilt Godric's Hollow as Order Headquarters. The deed to that house is still under my name, so you illegally built a house on my land. That can be considered trespassing, vandalism, and theft of land. I just want temporary proof that you can be trusted. In return, I am about to give you some important information that cannot leave this room. If you wish for this discussion to continue then swear on your magic that you won't allow any of this conversation to be revealed, I will tell you what you need to know, then you will decide whether you will work with me or not."

Dumbledore never felt this confused before. This meeting was going by too fast. "Harry, please give me some time to think about this."

Harry tapped his knee with one finger before checking his watch. "I'm afraid I can't do that. The minister will arrive in five minutes, maybe less, so you will have to decide now."

Dumbledore grabbed a Lemon Drop and popped it into his mouth. "Fine, I swear by my magic never to tell another soul about the remainder of this meeting."

Dumbledore glowed slightly as the oath came into effect. Harry nodded and twirled his hand when Dumbledore felt a privacy ward fall into place immediately around the small group.

Harry crossed his hands in his lap. "While your oath says you can't tell others, it says nothing about your portraits. They'll just have to remain clueless.

"Now, while you know about me spending time with the Dementor's and their master, you do not know what happened. Well, their master has agreed to give me some training in fighting and magical theory. Unfortunately, he uses his Dementor's, in a way, to travel, so we need someplace private to train in order to avoid any mishaps among the students.

"As a show of Faith, I want you to give me complete control of the Room of requirement, including the power to control who can and cannot uncover the door, until I graduate. Be aware that if you do not agree, I will simply have to meet him somewhere else, like the Forbidden forest or the Shrieking shack – where there is little to no protection from attack – in order to train. In return, I will give you all the information about Voldemort's actions and whereabouts I receive from my sources. And trust me, Headmaster, my sources are _very _reliable."

"But Harry," Dumbledore blustered. "There is no way for me to promise something like that, even with my position as Headmaster."

Harry silently thanked Hermione's love of research. "I will have to disagree. It states in _Hogwarts, a History_ that 'any Headmaster can magically ban any and/or all persons from a specific area of the castle, or relinquish full control of said area in the castle to another person, for as long as they are in office.' This was necessary in order to allow married couples to have completely private dorm rooms, but it applies just as much for my purposes. Now, will you work with me and give me a show of faith, or will we have to part ways here like you did with the ministry? You have," Harry checked his watch. "One minute."

Dumbledore weighed the positive and negative outcomes of this deal. _Is the Dementor's master trustworthy? Can he be allowed so close to the students? Can I allow him near Harry?_ Dumbledore vaguely heard Harry say "30 seconds," before he made up his mind. "May I meet the Master of the Dementor's, in order to gauge whether it will be safe to have him so close to the students?"

Harry shrugged. "I will have to ask him, but I'm sure he will be willing to meet you."

Dumbledore slumped into his seat. "Then yes, I hereby give Harry Potter all control over access and use of the Room of Requirement until either his graduation, or my retirement as the Headmaster."

A soft wind passed through the air before it became deadly still. Harry smiled. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." Harry removed the privacy wards and immediately heard a knocking on the door. "Now, that will be the Minister of Magic. I will leave you to your business now."

Dumbledore nodded wearily as Harry stood and walked calmly out of the Headmaster's office, past an imposing man with a large red beard, and towards his best friend and the last connection he had to his parents.

* * *

**A/N:** Any and all complaints can be discussed in my forums, or through a review. 

**P.S:** This is un-Beta'd.


	12. Jerusalem

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all Non-OC characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 12: Jerusalem  
By: Nanio-713**

Tonks rubbed her eyes thoroughly before gazing at Harry, who was packing for his trip back to Hogwarts. "Okay Harry, explain this to me again. _Why_ did you railroad Dumbledore into giving you the room of requirement?"

Harry smiled as he folded another set of robes. "There are a lot of reasons for doing it. The Room of Requirement is a dangerous place, and now Malfoy and the Slytherins know about it. Who know what they can do with it. Also, I don't want to walk in, planning to start a DA meeting, and run into a couple snogging."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "But what was your real reason for wanting the room? When did you even decide to do that, anyway? You would've at least hinted something to me if you were going to do that."

Harry's smile widened. "Well, I did it because I needed a place to train with my scythe. When you warned me about negotiating with Dumbledore I began thinking about how to use that to my advantage. Then I felt my scythe calling to me while heading to his office and remembered that I needed a place to train. The opportunity just presented itself."

"Well warn me next time you do something like that," Tonks replied. "We need to be able to help you, and surprising me and Remus with something like that is not a good thing."

Harry nodded. "Alright, I promise not to spring another surprise like that. So, what are you up to today? Ensuring that the Order will be able to transport me safely to the train tomorrow? Going to meet Alex?"

"No, I won't be able to see Alex again until next weekend, since I'll now be working at Hogwarts." Tonks responded. "I know you hate it when I do this, but I'm going to watch you train today. Someone has to be there in case something happens."

Harry sighed as he removed his robe, revealing a pair of blue jeans and a white tank top. He switched his pants with a pair of shorts and laid the pants on his bed.  
"You know I hate making you and Remus feeling the effects of my training. It's hard enough wielding that thing, but knowing that I'm feeding off your happiness in the process is not productive to my conscience."

"You'll have to get used to that feeling if you plan to use that scythe in front of your allies." Tonks replied. "If you can't use in front of us, then you won't be confident enough to use it in front of the order."

Harry nodded and silently motioned for Tonks to lead the way. The duo walked downstairs, through the kitchen (where Tonks quickly warmed a cup of cocoa), and into the spacious backyard. It was about the size of McGonagall's classroom, covered evenly with grass, and surrounded by trees. It was the perfect place to train: it was a large enough for wielding his scythe, close enough to the house to be protected by the Fidelius charm, and the trees gave Harry a feeling of privacy.

Harry walked to the middle of the garden and held his hands out to his sides. The powers of death called to him immediately. He embraced the darkness within him, releasing the sensations Death gave him access to and releasing the scythe from its resting place. A burst of flame in Harry's right palm quickly materialized into his scythe, and he began with a simple slash attack. He quickly began pacing himself through a small series of one, two, and three attack bursts that he learned through communication with his powers. He kicked and slashed before repositioning himself and swinging the blade up and thrusting his other hand out, releasing his wand from a hidden holster, and wordlessly casting a weak banishing charm. He pulled his hand back to re-holster his wand before turning around and slashing in a circle.

Tonks watched Harry practice with intense curiosity, as it was the best way to keep her more terrifying memories from having a strong hold on her. She watched as he went through the various attack forms he learned from his powers within the last couple of days, and was amazed to see that he learned quite a few. He was still a bit shaky with his form, since he still wasn't used to the weight of his weapon, but she noticed that he was showing a marked improvement in his skills. However, his use of spells was a cause for concern: his reliance on both his wand and his scythe meant that he would have to constantly switch between the two. It would be easier if he could just use one or the other.

Harry turned towards Tonks slashed the scythe down, stopping just before the blade made contact with the grass. He was almost ten feet away, but she was sure she still felt the air part in front of her. "Don't worry, Tonks. I'm supposed to be able to cast spells from my scythe, but I'm waiting until I get a better control of this thing before trying it."

…" She quickly sealed her mind against intrusion. "You're getting better at that." Tonks' jaw dropped. "How did you..."

Harry laughed. "No legilimency, Tonks. I would kill you if I used Legilimency while holding this thing." Harry held up the scythe. "I saw you frowning when I whipped out my wand, so I just assumed you had a problem with it."

"That's a very good deduction, Mr. Potter." A mysterious voice said. "Your skills have definitely improved since the last time I saw you."

Tonks stood and pulled out her wand. "Who is there? Show yourself!"

Harry moved next to Tonks as a circle of black flames erupted five feet in front of her. The flames rose higher than her head before disappearing, revealing the Grim Reaper. He appeared different since the last time they met: instead of a skeleton, he appeared dressed as a pale gentleman from the Victorian era, with long white hair. Somehow, though, Harry still knew that it was Death.

Harry leaned his scythe on the side of Godric's hollow and bowed to Death. "Greetings, I've been hoping to see you before returning to Hogwarts."

Death returned the bow to Harry. "It is a pleasure to see you haven't been wasting any time. Your progress is as expected, but you can only learn so much alone. Are you ready to take your lessons seriously? We can start as soon as you would like."

"Yes," Harry replied. "However, there is something I need to talk to you about. My headmaster has granted me access to a place within Hogwarts to train. However, he must meet with you before we can do so in order to gauge whether you're a risk to the students or not."

Harry smirked as Death chuckled. "Is that the reason he gave? More like he wants to know who you're associating with. Nevertheless, I can sympathize with his request. He is running a school full of children, and I agree that their safety comes first. We will meet with him, to prove that we won't mess with those in his care. We don't want the students to meet me prematurely, now do we?"

Harry nodded and Death approached Tonks. He mowed slightly and offered his hand. Tonks, as if in a trance, held out her hand and Death kissed it lightly. "Hello, Mademoiselle Tonks. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Tonks shook her head. "I would like to thank you for saving Harry."

"Merely business, Mademoiselle Tonks. I saved Harry just as much for business as I did for his safety. Now, I don't want to take a lot of your time so I'll get straight to Business. As I told you before, Harry, one of my disciples will train you. I would like you to meet Salah Ad' Din, otherwise pronounced as Saladin."

Harry motioned to the middle of the yard, where a Dementor materialized from thin air. This Dementor, however, did not have ragged robes, but his were very well kept. Also, Tonks did not feel any extra pressure from the Dementor's effects since it, or Death, showed up.

Death spoke first. "As you can see, Harry, Saladin has mastered his control over feeding off of the happiness of others, as I have and you eventually will. He was a human until the 11th century, when his people were defeated in battle during the Crusades. He had a powerful soul that required a Dementor to personally retrieve it. But instead of just dying, the man fought off my Dementor. Instead of just accepting the kiss and moving on, he decided to show initiative and kissed the Dementor instead. Such an act usually forces that person to become a special kind of Dementor, who retains independent thought. This is, of course, if they are able to control the powers we possess. There are only three still in existence. One runs Azkaban, and another watches the Veil in the Department of mysteries. Saladin here collects the stronger and older souls, so he has plenty of free time to accompany you. Whenever you summon your scythe he will know, and appear to train you. You can also communicate with him in the same way as you do with me."

The Dementor, Saladin, stepped forward and spoke through broadcasting his thoughts. "_It is a pleasure to meet a fellow Warrior of the one true God. May we clear the heathens from your society with swiftness, so that your people may live in peace._"

Death smiled. "He says that, but I've never seen him happier than when he has a blade in his hands. He's a master of the sword, but he's become proficient with most any weapon since I started training him. We will stay and train with you until sunset, when you should go eat and rest before your journey tomorrow."

* * *

Harry sat down on the train delicately, favoring his right hip. Saladin tested his knowledge of the few moves he knew, and was not gentle when Harry slipped. He stretched as Tonks walked in with his trunk. "Here you go, Harry. I'll stick around until the train starts moving, then I have to meet a few Aurors in the front to discuss security measures at Hogwarts. Then we'll be patrolling the carts, so I won't be able to stay here for long the next time you see me." 

Harry nodded and opened a copy of a book Hermione lent him called _Paladin Battle-Magic from the Crusades_. He flipped through it, absently memorizing pages for future reference in DA meetings. After twenty minutes of reading, Harry heard the door open and watched as Cho and three young women enter the compartment. One he recognized as Marietta Edgecombe, though a black veil hid the majority of her face. Another he recognized as Susan Bones, who had her strawberry-blond hair tied into one large plait. The third girl Harry didn't recognize. She had short black hair, light blue eyes, a small nose, and proportionally full lips. After trying to peg her name, Harry quickly gave up and greeted everyone. "Hello, everyone. What are you four up to?"

Cho grabbed Harry and made him stand up before giving him a hug. "Hey Harry, we saw Tonks walk by our compartment and knew you were here. I'm amazed you didn't get here at the last minute like you usually do."

Harry scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, Remus and Tonks brought me here early. So, are you going to introduce me?"

"Right," Cho exclaimed. "Harry, you should remember Marietta and Susan, and this is Su Li."

Harry shook Susan's hand before offering it to Marietta, who scoffed and folded hers in front of her chest. He didn't let it faze him as he also shook Su Li's hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Susan and Marietta. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Su Li."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Harry." Su Li responded. "I've heard good things about you through Cho, and a few horrid ones from elsewhere." Su Li's eyes flickered to Marietta as she finished her statement.

Harry smiled and offered everyone an opportunity to sit. Cho, Harry, and Su Li sat down. Before Susan had an opportunity to sit down Marietta grabbed her hand and said, "Come on, Susan. Someone needs to watch our luggage and I'm sure Harry wants some room for his _other_ friends to fit in here."

Susan nodded reluctantly and Marietta practically dragged her out of the door. Cho quickly explained. "She's still mad that you wouldn't help remove those boils from her face. She'll come around eventually."

"Do you think she'll rejoin the DA?" Harry asked curiously. "If she's going to keep that up I won't be responsible if Ron or Hermione hex her."

Cho shook her head. "No, when Hermione found out you were keeping the DA alive she mailed everyone to tell them that it was continuing. She also wrote that if they weren't planning on returning to mail their coins to either me or Hermione, unless they graduated, then they can keep the coins. Marietta delivered hers to me personally."

Cho passed the coin to Harry, who pocketed. A short silence followed before Su Li spoke. "So, what did you two get on your O.W.L's? What are you taking?"

Harry smiled. "I only failed History of Magic and astronomy, and only got an E in Potions. But Snape is apparently not teaching that next year, so I got into that class. I'm going to take Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense against the Dark Arts. Mix that with the DA and Quidditch, and I figure that my schedule is pretty full. What about you two?"

Cho and Su Li explained their courses: Cho was taking DADA, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy. Su Li was not going to take DADA or Ancient Runes, but was going to take Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology. When Harry asked why she wasn't going to take Defense, she merely shrugged. "I've never been much of a fighter, and I'm either going to work with animals or plants after I get out of school. I don't need to know how to make wards, or fight off bad guys, to do that. Besides, I'm going to join the DA so I won't be completely defenseless."

Harry was about to respond when the door opened to reveal Ron and Hermione. After greeting his two friends and introducing them to Cho and Su Li, the group sat back down and continued to discuss classes until the train left the station. After Ron and Hermione told everyone about their classes, Harry put away Hermione's book in his bag to make sure it didn't get lost.

Hermione saw the book Harry was putting away and smiled. "I'm glad you've been reading through the book I sent you. I guess you really are planning to continue the DA."

"Yeah," Harry replied. "It was fun last year, and the students really need to know their stuff now that Voldemort is active again. By the way, Cho told me about how you asked everyone in the DA whether they were coming back. Did anyone besides Marietta drop the club?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, everyone who hasn't graduated still wants to be in it. The only thing we have to worry about now is half of Hogwarts trying to be in the DA. The prophet has been playing you up as a savior again, even calling you the 'chosen one,' so a lot of people are going to try to sucker up to you."

Harry looked out of the compartment window as a group of third and fourth year girls, by the look of them, walked by and began to giggle excitedly as Harry looked at them. "Great, that's just what I need right now, Fan-girls and brown-nosers."

Su Li, who had been sitting quietly, piped up. "Well, they are useful for throwing into each other's path to get away."

Everyone laughed at her joke. When everyone calmed down, Hermione turned to Harry and spoke. "Seriously though, how are you going to handle DA now? Since we don't have to hide it this year a lot of people are going to want to join."

Harry waved his hand flippantly. "Don't worry about that. I'm only allowing, at most, for forty DA members including myself."

After talking a bit longer about the DA, everyone except Harry and Su Li left for their prefect meeting in the front compartment. A strange silence fell between Harry and Su. "So, what kind of groups are you in, Su?"

"Well," she replied. "I don't get involved in anything, really. I was in Gobstones and a study group for Transfiguration, but I eventually left those. What about you?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't get involved in anything beyond Quidditch and the DA. I help Hagrid with his pets a lot, which is the only reason I'm actually staying in his class. I guess I like having my life flash before my eyes on a regular basis."

Su Li giggled. "Yes, that class is very dangerous, but I need it in order to become a researcher for the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I think of it as facing the scarier things now so that, when I work for the Ministry, they'll be hard-pressed to get a reaction out of me when things get wild."

Harry nodded and heard the compartment door open yet again. "Well, what do we have here? Potty and a Blood-traitor, alone without his friends? How will your girlfriend take to hearing of this affair?"

Draco stood at the door, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "Hello Malfoy," Harry drawled. "Has your father stopped limping yet?"

"What?" Draco glared.

"I'd figure that since your father and his Death Eater friends couldn't keep me hostage this summer, Voldemort would've taken it out on him. So has he stopped limping from his punishment yet?"

Draco's face darkened. "I told you before, Potter. You and your little friends will pay this year for what you've said about our families. You Blood-traitors will all learn the folly of following that Mudblood lover and his little group."

"Wow, Draco, I'm impressed." Su Li mocked. "Your brain actually managed to use the word Folly in context. Now if it would only embrace the concept of embarrassment, you would leave me and Harry alone. You're just making a joke of yourself by talking."

Draco's face started turning purple in rage and he pulled out his wand. "Why you little bint-"

"Do we have a problem here?" A female voice filled the train car. "The three of you are blocking the path. Move along and leave those people alone, unless you want to be detained in the back with the other Aurors."

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle smirked. "Oh, I'm soooo scared now, Miss Auror. What are you going to do, change your hair color at me? Let's go, Potter probably has his personal entourage coming to fight his battles."

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle strode away from the compartment and out of the cart. Tonks huffed. "I swear I'm going to be looking for a reason to knock that little ferret around. So how has the trip been?"

"It's been well," Harry said. "Tonks, this is Su Li, a friend of Cho's. Su Li, this is Tonks, an Auror that'll be working at Hogwarts this year."

After Su and Tonks greeted each other they all sat down and were talking about the new music contract that the seeker for the Holyhead Harpies recently received. Hermione, Cho, and Ron returned as Tonks was going about it. "It's just selling out for a few quick Galleons. She has no real singing ability, and while she's a great seeker I don't get how that makes her qualified for music."

"I just hope it doesn't ruin her performance with the Harpies." Harry replied. "If the music and game schedules collide, she may be too tired from singing to win any matches."

Ron scoffed. "That'd be ironic. I would love to see that."

Ron was about to explain why he would love to see the Harpies Demise when Colin Creevy opened the compartment door. "Sorry everyone. Harry, I was sent by Professor Slughorn to give you this."

"Who is professor Slughorn?" Hermione asked as Colin passed Harry a small note.

"He'd probably our new DADA professor, or he's teaching potions since I heard Snape left the post." Harry replied as he read the note. "It says here that he's throwing a little party in his cart, and is inviting me."

Cho took the sheet from Harry and inspected it. "Well, this is unusual. Are you going to go?"

"Professor Slughorn told me to stay here until you decide to come to the party." Colin said.

"Wow, I've never had idol worship from a professor before. This is actually kind of disturbing." Harry took the note from Cho and ripped it in half. "Colin, go tell Slughorn that I politely decline his offer. I don't want to do anything right now but relax and eat a few chocolate frogs."

Colin nodded before walking away. The group (minus Tonks, who returned to her rounds) talked the whole way to Hogwarts. A few other students stopped in to say hello to everyone, but the group was left relatively alone. When they neared the school everyone changed into their robes and made their way outside.

Harry made his way to the carts, noticing that the Thestral's were moving to get a better view of Harry as he strode forward. The closest to Harry bumped him with its leathery nose, as if he wished to be petted. Harry did so reluctantly, and felt his powers slip slightly as his hand connected to the Thestral. It let out a small, guttural sound, as if it were very happy, before pushing harder against Harry's hand. Harry patted the Thestral for a moment and felt an odd sense of contentment from his abilities, not noticing that the students watching him felt a deep feeling of dark foreboding at the sight of Harry petting an invisible creature. After a while, Harry moved around the Thestral and managed to get into the cart without being bothered by another.

The ride to Hogwarts was uneventful, and Harry sat between Ron and Hermione, and across from Ginny, Seamus, and Neville Longbottom in the great hall. Harry looked around, noticing that many of the older students were missing. _I guess it's true; People really are pulling their kids out of school in fear._ Harry reflected. _I hope they turn out okay._ Harry looked at the professor's table to take his mind off of the student population and saw that everyone except McGonagall was sitting at the professor's table. Mr. Slughorn was sitting at the table (Harry noticed that the portly bald man kept sneaking glances at him) talking to Professor Sinistra, who was sitting next to Snape. _Wait a minute, I thought that Tonks said he wasn't teaching Potions,_ Harry thought. _What is he still doing here?_

Harry didn't dwell on that thought, however, as the first-year students were brought into the dining hall with the sorting hat. The opening song was odd, and stressed that the houses needed to work together. Still, this couldn't keep the attention of the Boy-Who-Lived. Before Harry knew it he was watching as "Zzyzx, Brandon" was sorted into Hufflepuff. As the little boy sat down, Professor Dumbledore allowed the opening feast to begin.

Harry piled his plate with potatoes, chicken, corn, and was about to enjoy it when he looked up and saw Ernie McMillan, Luna Lovegood, and Katie Bell standing in front of him. Ernie, who looked as if he was going to explode with excitement, spoke first. "Is it true, Harry? Are you really continuing the DA?" Harry nodded. "Excellent! When is the first meeting?"

Harry took a sip of Pumpkin Juice before responding. "Dumbledore has allowed me to continue the DA, and the first meeting is on Friday night. Spread the word to the rest of the DA that I'm only accepting a small number of newcomers, so only invite people they think will work well with the whole group."

"What do you have planned for this year, now that You-Know-Who is attacking again?" Ernie asked.

"Nothing much," Harry Replied. "I figure I'll start off by some reviewing, and then we'll go into some interesting spells I've read about. You'll find out more at the next meeting. Now go on; spread the word about Friday."

Luna and Ernie nodded enthusiastically before moving back to their tables. Katie, meanwhile, nudged Seamus and Neville aside in order to sit down. As a new plate, goblet, and silverware appeared in front of her, she spoke. "All right. Ginny, Ron, Harry, I've been made the Quidditch Captain this year, so we need to start this year early. We've lost every other competent player that wasn't a reserve, so this year Gryffindor is pretty much starting from scrap. I'm going to need all of you there next Saturday for our first practice."

Ginny scoffed. "Of course _I_ need to be there. I'm trying out for the Chaser position now that Harry is allowed to play again."

"Ginny, you know you're going to ace the chaser position," Katie chided. "So stop joking around. Now, Kirke and Sloper are re-applying for the Beater position, but I hope they're not the best Gryffindor has to offer this year, no offense to them. If they don't work out, then we need to train three new recruits before the first game. So Harry: No DA stuff then, and please don't let the rampaging schoolgirls I heard planning to seduce you actually succeed."

Harry blinked. "Excuse me?"

Katie smiled. "I heard a third year and two fourth years planning on how to seduce you. Separately, of course, but I'd start testing your drinks for love potion during the year."

Harry growled. "How am I supposed to do that? Have Neville and Ron sip my drink first and wait for them to tell me they love some random girl?"

"Why do I have to be the taste-tester?" Ron asked with his hand covering his heart. "I'd much rather be on the 'hog-tie the sorry bint' team. Have Neville drink your juice; it'll be funnier if he suddenly starts acting like he understands girls."

Neville rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Ron. I'm sure my new girlfriend will really appreciate your willingness to have me drugged."

"What?!" Seamus exclaimed.

Before he could ask anything else, the Headmaster stood and cleared his throat. "Welcome back, one and all, to Hogwarts. I would like to take this time to re-iterate a few rules. First, access to the forest at the edge of our grounds, aptly named the forbidden forest, is forbidden to all students. Secondly, there is a surprisingly large list of gadgets and items that have recently been banned from Hogwarts grounds by our caretaker, Mr. Filch. For those of you who are interested in reading the full list, it is on display at Mr. Filch's office.

"We have some new announcements in regards to our staff. First off, Professor Severus Snape has left the position of Potions teacher after fourteen years of service, and will now be acting as the teacher for the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

A very audible moan permeated throughout the room. Harry moaned. "Great, now my favorite class goes from a sadistic woman who wanted me dead to a sadistic man who _wants_ me dead."

Dumbledore gave the students a moment before continuing. "Now, now. I know many of you will miss him, as he is a wonderful potions master. However, I have found a replacement that is just as skilled, if not more, in the subject as he. I would like all of you to please welcome our new professor, Professor Horace Slughorn."

Professor Slughorn waved as the students politely clapped for the new professor. When they stopped, Dumbledore spoke again. "There are only two more things before I let all of you go back to your dormitories. First, due to the news that Voldemort-" The entire hall shuddered at his name. "Is back and attacking the Wizarding World again, we have enlisted the help of several Aurors, who will be patrolling the grounds and occasionally adding to the wards around our fair school. Please do not bother them unless there is trouble or an emergency, and do go outside the grounds after nine o' clock. The Aurors are allowed to detain any suspicious characters, and wandering students will be dealt with harshly. Secondly, due to one of the many ministry decrees granted, many of Hogwarts' extracurricular activities were cancelled. I have a small list of groups and organizations that will be reinstated for the upcoming school year."

Dumbledore pulled a small sheet of parchment out of his robes. "First, the Arithmancy research group, headed by Eddie Charmichael of Ravenclaw, is now officially reinstated. The advanced Charms group, led by Terance Higgs of Slytherin and supervised by Professor Flitwick, has been restored at Professor Flitwick and Mr. Higgs' request. Finally, the Defense Association, led by Harry Potter and never officially sanctioned as a school group, has been given full permission to become an official club. If anyone wishes to become a member of these clubs, or would like to see a full listing of official groups and clubs that you can join here at Hogwarts, please see your head of House for a full list. Thank you all, and good night to all of you."

"Well," Ron said as the shuffle of students trying to leave the hall began. "So much for keeping the DA quiet this year. By breakfast, everyone in the school is going to know when and where the first meeting is."

"It couldn't be helped, Ron." Hermione responded. "He was announcing the clubs that students wanted to reinstate. Professor Dumbledore needs to be seen cleaning up the mess Umbridge made, and announcing which clubs were being revived after Umbridge trashed them wasn't a bad idea. Now come on; we need to lead the first years to the Dormitories." Hermione turned to Harry, noticing how he was lost in thought. "Are you coming, Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "I have to go meet someone before I go to bed. Can you give me the password now so I won't be locked out?"

Hermione nodded. "Sure, the password is 'Everclear.' Don't stay out too late, okay?"

Harry nodded before walking away from his friends. "Alright, I'll see you later."

* * *

Harry walked passed the empty wall three times, wishing for a large, empty room. When the door opened, he walked into a cavernous room that was easily the size of the Great hall. Harry moved forward and removed his clock, shirt, and shoes off, leaving him in only his pants and glasses. A soft voice in his head asked, "_Is it time?_" 

Harry nodded and quickly reached out his hand. A burst of black flame shot out and revealed his scythe. Shortly after a shadow grew out of the ground and materialized into the form of Saladin. "_Good, you made it here in record time. We will meet twice a week every day, for at least four hours. Today will be short, since you need your rest for your wizard studies. However, that does not mean you will not work hard to control and suppress your urges while holding your blade tonight. The better you do that, the easier you will learn how to properly wield the blade. Anyone can swing a scythe, but only those who master it can manipulate it to return to you after throwing it, or make it move of it's own accord to protect you. _"

Harry nodded. "How will we start?"

"_Young Master Harry, it is not as easy as clearing your mind and holding your power in check. In order to harness your strength, you must immerse yourself in it and dominate it. The only way to do that is to take your body to the limits of performance and just letting yourself go. At first everything will seem like a blur, but the more conscious you become, the better you will handle your blade. By the end of this month, I plan to have you strong enough to channel enough of your power so that you can contact me within your mind without affecting those around you with our power, which will not be an easy task._"

Saladin reached out his hand and summoned a large scimitar from oblivion. "Now we will begin your training."

Saladin, without so much as a warning, disappeared and reappeared behind Harry. He sliced down fiercely, his blade barely deflected by the Scythe's handle as Harry turned to block. Saladin kicked Harry back before slashing sideways. Harry blocked and jumped back before taking an attack stance and jumping forward. He slashed at Saladin, who blocked neatly, before following up with a roundhouse kick with his left leg. Saladin jumped back, and Harry rushed forward to press the offensive. As Harry slacked and spun his scythe, he felt the vision at the edges of his glasses begin to blur. He blinked to regain his sight when he heard Saladin speak. "_Don't stop! You are immersing yourself in your magical strength. You must let it overcome you. Only when you are surrounded by it's darkness can you begin to search for the light._"

Harry nodded and closed his eyes again. It was only when his vision disappeared and he felt himself lose control of his movements that the real training had begun.

**A/N:** Saladin is an actual Muslim leader during the Crusades, not just some character from the Movie "Kingdom of Heaven." After reading about him in a history course, I found him fascinating: He was charismatic, powerful, pious (to the Musllim's, although the Christians thought otherwise), and a strong warrior. I think he'll make a wonderful tutor for Harry.


	13. Timing

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**AUTHOR'S EDIT:** After a few reviews regarding the obscene amount of money I gave Harry through his inheritance, I edited chapter 3 and shrank it from over two billion to four hundred million Galleons. Now, some of you will still complain that is too much considering prices in the Wizard world, but at least it's an improvement: The first draft had Harry hold his vaults in just Gold, but the four hundred million is in gold _and _assets (i.e. stocks, possessions, property) so it's up there, but not as insane as before. Another thing to note is that I am aiming at a more realistic economic price range than JKR. Finally, think of it as you would most capitalist wealth; I figure, in the Wizard world, a very small percentage of the world has a large percentage of the wealth. Harry just happens to be one of those people.

* * *

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 13: Timing  
****By: Nanio-713**

"Wow mate, you look like hell." Ron commented as Harry sat down across from him. The green-haired boy grunted as he began piling eggs, hash, and bacon onto his plate. He looked ragged, with bags under his eyes and his hair messier than usual, and seemed to move a bit sluggishly. "Who did you go meet last night?"

Harry grunted as he stuffed some eggs into his mouth. He ate it quickly and explained between bites. "I had to go meet a training partner… forgot to tell you… I'm doing some special training… don't let anyone else know."

Harry drank some pumpkin juice as Ron and Hermione stared at him. "Harry," Hermione asked. "Why didn't you let us go to this training you had?"

"You know why," Harry explained. "I can't control myself enough to let you watch me fight, yet."

Hermione's face darkened, but before she could say anything Ginny sat down next to Harry. "Hey, guys. Wow, Harry, you look like you were trampled by hippogriffs last night."

"Harry was doing some training last night," Ron stated. "Why did you have to go training last night, though? I mean, you have your first classes today."

"I know," Harry moaned. "My 'training partner' thought that the sooner we started the better."

"Did things go well, at least?" Hermione inquired.

Harry shrugged. He thought the training went horribly. He could barely remember anything beyond a few moments, and it all seemed as if he were viewing them through a dirty mirror. He couldn't control his magic enough to regain control of his vision, let alone his actions, and Saladin was not a patient sparring partner. The only time he regained control of himself was after Saladin beat him up and helped Harry regain control of his mind.

Harry shook his head and looked at Hermione, who was in the middle of saying something. "…shouldn't be doing this sort of training so soon after returning from being captured. I mean, you haven't properly recovered from being a prisoner of Death Eaters and you're already doing some secret training. It's irresponsible of Dumbledore to schedule something like this-"

"It was my idea, Hermione." Harry interrupted. "I wanted to start training sooner, but I couldn't. Dumbledore didn't force me into anything. This is my own training and I know what I'm doing."

"Very admirable, Mr. Potter," A female voice said behind him. Harry quickly turned around to see professor McGonagall. "If we see this sort of enthusiasm in your school work, then I will have high hopes for you. Here is your schedule."

After receiving his schedule, Harry realized that his classes were going to be very intense. He had Defense and Transfiguration every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, with double Magical creatures Tuesday and Thursday morning. He then had double Charms Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, then double Potions on Monday and Friday afternoon.

McGonagall, who watched Harry cringe at his schedule, cleared her throat. "Mr. Potter, I also need to know when, and where, your first DA meeting is in order to put it into the public records."

Harry sighed. "I didn't want everyone to know for a reason, professor. Now everyone is going to show up and I want to keep the group small." McGonagall's response was to glare at Harry. "But, since you need to know, the first meeting is this Friday at seven o' clock in the Room of Requirement. Professor Dumbledore can provide directions for those who don't know where it is."

McGonagall thanked Harry and left, and Harry immediately began comparing his schedule with Hermione and Ron. Hermione's was similar, but instead of Magical Creatures she had Ancient Runes, and she also had double Arithmancy on Wednesday afternoons. Ron's didn't have classes Wednesday afternoon, but in place of Magical Creatures he had Muggle Studies. When asked why he finally decided to join that class he replied, "I need five classes this year, and I figured it would be a good idea to know what you and Hermione are talking about when you mention the Muggle world. Hell, the class minimum is the only reason I'm taking potions, too."

"Well," Hermione stated as they all stood to walk to Defense. "At least I have the same classes as Cho."

"No you don't," Harry replied. "Cho's schedule is different since she's a seventh year. Seventh years have different schedules than sixth years again starting this year, since splitting the classes by just skill level instead of year was only a practice idea and the professors noticed that treating the classes like that created really biased results. Face it, Hermione: You're stuck with us dolts until you graduate."

Harry smiled at Hermione to take away the sting of his comment, and they all joked good-naturedly until reaching Defense. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in the front of the class and pulled out their quills, paper, and wands. They watched as various members of their year entered the classroom. Once everyone sat down, they waited until exactly nine, when Professor Snape entered the Room.

"Good morning, class." Snape stated as he walked into the room. He stopped in front of the Teacher's desk and leaned slightly upon it. "I am your new defense instructor since our dear Headmaster could not find another replacement for this post. He was, however, able to convince the former potions professor, Horace Slughorn, to reclaim his position. I know you are in capable hands there, which leaves me free to shape you up here."

Snape began to pace in front of the students. "Unfortunately, all of you have had horrible teachers, and there are many gaps in your learning because of it. I will have to fix those while keeping you up to par with your year's requirements. I will not have you failing your N.E.W.T'S through bad teaching, so as long as you keep up there will be no problems."

Snape continued for another half hour, explaining what the class was going to cover in the next year, as well as testing their current knowledge of Defense. He finished the class with an exhausting exam covering what he felt all of the students should know for their year. Transfiguration, which the trio had afterward with Su Li and Susan Bones, was covered in a similar manner, with a thorough explanation involving the importance of the N.E.W.T's, followed by a recap of their skills. McGonagall constantly stressed the importance of the sixth year as a time for hard work, and no slacking, before making them transfigure various objects and small animals.

Potions in the afternoon, however, proved to be incredibly exciting. Harry sat down next to Ron as Hermione sat next to Su Li when Horace Slughorn entered the classroom at precisely one o' clock. He did his roll call slowly, speaking to various students about how he knew their parents. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were rather miffed to discover that Slughorn completely avoided mentioning any affiliation with any of their parents. When they reached Harry, Slughorn paused for almost five minutes to talk about how talented his mother, Lily Potter, was when she took his N.E.W.T. level class.

After the standard N.E.W.T. speech, he pulled out a cauldron from his office filled with a golden elixir. Slughorn stood next to his potion standing as straight as possible with a large grin plastered onto his face. "Now this, everyone, is a very special potion. It is known as the _Felix Felicis_ potion, and is well said to give the drinker an incredible amount of luck for as long as the potion is in your system. Once consumed, the potion gives the drinker an exhilarating sense of confidence and a tremendous sense of opportunity, and all of the drinker's activities will usually succeed. However, if you drink too much the potion causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence, and it is highly toxic in large quantities. Also, the potion passes rather quickly because it is so powerful, and the body begins to reject it. As a special prize for those who manage to make today's potion, I will give the brewer of the best sample a beaker of the _Felix Felicis_. Today's potion is _Euphoria_ which, as the name states, is an Elixir that induces a sense of euphoria to the drinker."

The entire room buzzed with excitement as they began pulling out ingredients, their textbooks, and lighting the fires from their cauldrons. They were so excited that Ron set the gas pressure too high, which caused the fire to shoot up once he turned it on. Harry raised his potions book to protect himself from the heat, until Ron was finally able to lower the flame. Slughorn, after deducting points from Ron for his lack of care with the fire, moved next to Harry to ensure he was okay. After several assurances, Harry was able to convince the Potions professor that he was not burned or otherwise injured.

After Slughorn returned to his desk, Harry opened his book and found the section for the Elixir of Euphoria. It appeared to be a very difficult potion, requiring exact movements, ingredients, and timing in order to successfully make it. After two hours of cutting exact ingredients, mixing the cauldron clockwise and clockwise exactly one hundred times in a row at exactly timed intervals, Harry pulled his cauldron out of the fire and allowed it to cool. As the potion settled, Harry noticed that his potion was a slight shade below sunshine yellow, which was the desired color for the potion. Harry looked around to see others moving their cauldrons out of their fires. Ron's potion was two shades darker than his, though still a somewhat bright yellow, and Crabbe's potion appeared nearly orange. Hermione and Su Li's potions looked perfect, with matching sunshine yellow brews nearly glowing as they cooled.

All of the students quickly bottled their potions and began cleaning, and after the class was dismissed Harry nearly left before Slughorn called him back. "Excuse me, Mr. Potter, but could you stay behind for a moment?"

Harry sighed before waving away Ron, Hermione, and Su Li and walking back to Slughorn. "Well, Mr. Potter, it's certainly good to meet you. I've been anxious to see your abilities, since your mother was one of my top students. Yes, she was the greatest Potions mistress of her age, followed closely by Professors Snape and Mrs. Malfoy. Of course, your father was no slouch either, but nobody held a candle to Lily."

"I'm sure she was," responded Harry, obviously uncomfortable with the man's casual referencing to his mother. "I don't know much about her, unfortunately, so I wouldn't know."

"Then I will be sure to tell you more about her, if you will allow me." Slughorn smiled. "We certainly missed you on the train yesterday, Mr. Potter. Harry. May I ask why you could not accept my invitation?"

"Well," Harry began slowly. "I had a rather rough summer, as you may have heard, and wished to take the train ride to relax. I meant no offense to you or anyone with you."

Slughorn waved his hand dramatically. "No worries, Harry. I was just meeting with a few of the more talented students of your generation. You may not be aware of this, but when I was a teacher here during your mother's time I had a small group named the Slug Club, comprised of the greatest students of the time. I was merely hoping you could join us on the train for our first dinner, but I'm sure you can make the next one. I hear you are the best student in the school with your study of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Oh, and do be sure to invite Miss Granger as well. I was going to tell her personally – I've heard many tales yesterday of her remarkable skills – but I thought it would be a better idea to give us a moment to chat alone."

Harry smiled half-heartedly. _I really don't want to be here. I need to make something up fast!_ "I'd like to stay and chat, Professor Slughorn, but I really must get going. I have to meet the headmaster later this week about my new defense club, and was hoping to work on a few things to show him today."

Slughorn's smile faltered slightly before he shook his head and spoke. "No worries, Harry. Just stop by here next Wednesday for dinner with the Slug club, and we'll talk then. Don't forget to bring Miss Granger, as well!"

Harry smiled and nodded before leaving, silently vowing to warn Hermione about Slughorn's elitist club and planning to avoid the man and his group for as long as possible.

_**Scene Change**_

Harry sat down next to Cho, and across from Su Li and Marietta, at the Ravenclaw table for Dinner. "Wow, this week's classes were _boring!_ It was just a constant stream of speeches about how important the N.E.W.T's are."

The week was rather dull for Harry. The first classes of Magical creatures and Charms were the same as his first day, with speeches on the importance of Newts followed by review sessions. Hagrid's class was a bit entertaining with the review containing at least one of each creature (Su Li, not forgetting the Blast-ended Skrewts, visibly relaxed when Hagrid announced that most of the creatures studied in his previous classes, including the skrewts, would not be making reappearances), but otherwise was not entertaining. They then proceeded to enter the difficult transition in Defense and Charms of going from vocal to non-vocal spells. Harry had a difficult time at first, until he began to block out the sounds around him and concentrating more by using his Occlumency. The second Care of Magical Creatures class was cancelled due to the fact that the creature they were going to study, the Occamy, escaped its cage and was currently hiding in the dark forest.

Cho smiled. "That's better than us 7th years. We jumped straight into special projects for all of our classes. It was Horrid, I tell you."

Harry chuckled and Marietta huffed indignantly, causing her veil to quiver slightly. Harry could tell Marietta was becoming more vexed by his presence as time passed, so he quickly stood. "Alright, I was just coming by to visit. I'll see you later tonight in the library?"

Cho nodded and Harry walked away quickly to remove himself from Marietta's glare, which was more pronounced since the only thing on her face people could see were her eyes. As he sat down next to Ron at the Gryffindor table, who stopped his discussion with Hermione regarding his eating habits to raise his eyebrow at Harry. "Hey mate, I thought you were going to eat with your girlfriend?"

Harry shrugged. "Marietta was giving me the cold shoulder, and those boils ruin my appetite. You know how these things are."

Ron nodded sagely as Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Oh do you, Ron? And how exactly did you gain this insight into the female mind."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Hermione, I have five brothers. Each of them has had one girlfriend whose sister, cousin, or best friend hated them. And why are you getting so upset for, anyway? Am I reminding you too much of _Vicky?_"

Hermione huffed and was about to go into a small tirade before a Cho's voice suddenly cut through. "You know, Ron, the fastest way to making peace with someone is by _not_ provoking them."

Harry turned to see Cho as she sat down across from him. "I wanted to eat dinner with you, and since Marietta ruined any chances of us having dinner at the Ravenclaw table I decided to come over here."

Harry smiled and reached across the table to squeeze her hand gently before moving to pile food onto his plate. Hermione began talking to Cho about something involving Arithmancy (Harry stopped understanding after a few seconds) while Harry spoke to Ron about Quidditch. After a few minutes of light chatting, everyone stopped as Dumbledore moved to stand next to Harry.

"Hello Harry," Dumbledore said jovially. "I just want to make sure you remember our meeting tonight."

Harry nodded as Cho, Hermione, and Ron looked on inquisitively. "Yes sir. I remember. I will be waiting in the Room of Requirement at ten o' clock, which is when I plan to end the DA meeting."

Dumbledore grinned. "That's good to hear, Harry. I can't wait until them."

As Dumbledore moved on, Cho immediately leaned towards her boyfriend and began motioning her head toward Dumbledore. "Harry, what is going on? Why do you have to meet with Dumbledore?"

Harry looked around nervously before replying softly. "I'll tell you in the Room of Requirement. Now hurry up and eat; I want to get there early and pull the old crowd together before the new candidates show up."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Cho ate quickly and made their way to the seventh floor. Once outside of the Room of Requirement, Harry quickly paced in front of the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy and opened the newly created door. After a quick look around, Harry noticed that the room looked exactly the same as it had last year. A bookshelf lined one wall, with a large assortment of squishy bean bag chairs and cushions lined against another wall. Harry looked at his watch to see it was half past six, and quickly retrieved his Galleon to set the time for the original DA member's meeting for six forty-five.

Once that was done, Harry turned to his best friends and girlfriend. "Alright, DA members will start showing up soon so I want to let you know a few things before we start. First, I'm planning on keeping the DA small, so I probably won't accept more than a dozen new students or so. This is because I don't think this group will be as effective if we have more than that. Second, my meeting with Dumbledore involves training with my new… power."

"Why does Dumbledore want to meet you to talk about your new powers?" Hermione asked. "You said yourself that you made a deal with Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore put in a stipulation saying that he wanted to gauge for himself how much of a hazard my powers represent. I'm sure everything will be alright, but I'm ending the DA meeting early." Hermione was about to ask another question, but Harry raised his hand to stop her. "Not right now, Hermione. The DA is about to start showing up."

Hermione glanced at the newly appeared clock on the wall and saw it was a half past six. She then turned to the door as she watched Ginny, Luna, and Neville walk into the room. Over the next ten minutes, they watched as the original DA members from the previous year milled into the room. Finally, after Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott entered, Harry stood on a newly created stage.

"Welcome everyone," Harry greeted. "It's good to see all of you well. I invited all of you early to let you in on a few things before the new prospects show up. But first I have two orders of business. First, I ask for a moment of silence for our fallen friend Dean Thomas. He was a good friend and a fine duelist. He fell protecting his family from Death Eaters, and for that we will honor him."

The entire room fell silent for one minute before Harry continued. "Second, I'm checking to see who still wants to be here, and who wants to leave the DA. Anyone who wishes to leave, raise your hands now." None raised their hands. "Alright then, moving on; I am asking for one person to leave the DA quietly. Michael Corner, please come up here."

Everyone looked around curiously and murmured questions amongst themselves as they watched Michael walk up to the stage. Once he climbed next to Harry, the two faced each other while Harry spoke. "Michael, you're a decent duelist and a fast learner. I think you'd do well in this group. However, I've had two fellow members, Ginny Weasley and Cho Chang, come to me and ask your removal from this group. I'm not going to state out loud what their complaints are, but I believe you already know why."

Harry quickly connected to Michael's mind and whispered. "_You should learn that when women say no, they mean no. They would feel more comfortable with you not here, since they don't want to hear of you abusing your training because you don't know how to be a gentleman._"

Michael scowled. "Oh, come on! You can't believe what they said. Everything that went on between me and them was consensual!"

"Yes," Harry responded. "Because both of them had to physically pound that lesson into you." A few snickers traveled through the room. "Now, you can either give me your coin and leave, or we'll make you leave."

Michael's scowl deepened, and his hands began to shake. He looked like he was about to explode, but instead he took a deep breath, handed over his galleon, and walked over to his friends. "Come on Terry, Anthony, let's go."

Terry and Anthony glanced at each other. Terry scratched the back of his head. "Sorry Michael, but we want to learn from Harry. Snape knows his stuff, but Harry is a better teacher than that git."

Michael balled his fist, but before he could do anything he stormed out of the room. Everyone was awkwardly silent for a moment, before Harry cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, er… I still have a few more things to say. I just wanted to let you know that the next week or so we'll be doing review to catch up the new recruits, then we're going over the Patronus spell again so that the new recruits and Seamus will be able to pull that one off. It's very important that we all know how to do that. Then, we'll mostly be covering three things: shields, counter curses, and dueling. The counters will either be spells to nullify enemy attacks, and good offensive spells that are quick to cast. That way, we have a good mix of offensive and defensive spells at our disposal. As for the spells; we've learned lots of general purpose spells, but I want us to know more specific shields that block either spells only, or just solid objects. We'll also study shields that block certain types of magic, like elemental types, light, and dark magic. That's because these spells are usually stronger, cost less magic which leaves you less tired, and open up tactical possibilities we don't have right now."

Harry went on for another five minutes, explaining what he planned for the DA and why. He stopped when he sensed that there were people nearing the room and, sure enough, three fourth year Hufflepuffs walked into the room a few seconds later. Over the next few minutes, the room slowly filled with more students until the room was slowly expanding itself to fit everyone. Harry expanded the stage and had all of the original DA members to sit apart from the rest, making it easier for the selection process to run smoothly. At half past seven, the room was holding roughly half of the Hogwarts student population, which worried the Boy-Who-Lived greatly.

Once it seemed that no more students were coming, Harry began. "Well, er, I didn't expect such a large turnout. Truth be told, this is way too many people for just me to teach."

"Why are you the only one teaching?" One student in the middle of the crowd yelled.

Harry smirked. "For those of you who don't know, the DA was taught by me last year, when there was only thirty of us, and I wasn't the senior student. If there are more DA members willing to teach something we don't already know then they can come to me at any time. However, right now I'm the only person here who knows they're going to teach everyone here, and I don't think I can handle many more people than I did last year. The more students there are means that I have less time to work with each of you. That means that the quality of the teaching drops, which pretty much defeats the point of this group. Since no one has offered to help teach, the DA is planning on picking up about a dozen students at most. If anyone doesn't like those odds, or doesn't like how I'm doing things, you can leave now."

The whole crowd began to grumble as a dozen students left, while everyone else stayed. "Alright, next I'm asking everyone in their first or second year to leave." A large uproar could be heard as far as the first floor of Hogwarts. "Hey, the DA is meant to teach others how to protect themselves against Death Eaters. I can't do that unless everyone is used to their wands and knows basic spells. Besides, some of the spells I'm going to teach this year need more magical strength than some of the younger students are used to using, so they'll be useless to you until about third year anyway."

Another stretch of time was spent as the large crowd of first and second years left the room. Some left quietly while others made large, surprisingly insulting remarks as they went out of the door. After the last group of second years left ("humph," Hermione remarked as the last group said a particularly nasty parting insult. "I know none of us ever spoke like _that_ when we were younger."), Harry moved into the last method of weeding out those who weren't taking this seriously.

Harry stood at the head of the stage and folded his hands behind his back. "Now, before we start choosing who gets into the DA, I'm going to say this. The Defense Association was originally created for us students to better prepare for our O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's properly while the school was under ministry control. Our goal is still that, as well as two other reasons. We are training ourselves to fight dark wizards like the Death Eaters, and to protect each other and innocent bystanders. The DA's other alias, Dumbledore's Army, was used only to anger the ministry. We don't protect him, and we aren't his personal guards or soldiers. While we are loyal to Professor Dumbledore, we are not his subordinates. We are a group trained to protect ourselves and those around us. We aren't some squad sent out by _anyone_ to fight the war against Voldemort."

A shudder coursed through the room. "If you want to protect your loved ones by risking your lives and fighting Death Eaters, this is the right group. If you're looking to become a soldier for Dumbledore or the Ministry, or a hero, or something akin to Dumbledore's apprentice, then you'd have a better chance elsewhere. We're not looking for idiots trying to kill themselves in order to become popular."

A large amount of students cleared out, but a very hefty amount of people were still in the group of prospects. Harry did a quick scan, and estimated that there were about two hundred students left in the crowd. He then moved into the next stage of his plan. "As we have over two hundred students left, I'm going to walk amongst you and, if I tap you, you have to leave. There will be no exceptions."

The majority of the group began complaining about this process.

"A bit full of himself, isn't he?"

"How elitist! He's no better than You-Know-Who!"

"This isn't fair!"

"You're only trying to help your friends! What about the rest of us?"

The accusations kept coming until Harry pulled out his wand and set off a large bang. "I really don't care what any of you think! There will be no favoritism. My choices will be methodical and for a reason. You won't know why until afterward, though. If you don't trust me, then feel free to leave!"

Everyone stayed quiet as Harry jumped off of the stage. He spread his mental awareness throughout the entire room. He began walking up to people who were there only because it was the "cool" thing to do and tapping them. He also tapped those who were trying to become some super-powerful heroes, who were only planning to learn a few spells than leave, and the fan girls. Some, like a third year Gryffindor with a prominent chin and long black hair, he let stay because, despite the fact that they were fan girls, they also seemed eager to protect those they care about.

As he made his way through the crowd, he ran into three Slytherins near the back of the room. One girl was a tall black girl with a ponytail reaching as low as her waist, and blue eyes that seemed to be chiseled out of ice. The other was a pale woman with a sharp nose, forest green eyes, and beach blond hair which reached her shoulder blades. He knew they were Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini. The third was a young boy with long blond hair and green eyes like Daphne, although he had a softer nose and smaller lips. All three of them stood with their hands crossed in front of them, and all three had very strong Occlumency shields. Harry positioned himself in front of the trio as the group began to surround all of them. Harry pulled back his mental awareness until it only surrounded himself and the Slytherin trio. The crowd began muttering angrily towards the Slytherins, but they and Harry paid no attention to the crowd. Harry knocked politely on their shields, purposely leaving the outer portion of his shields open. Once Blaise and Daphne opened themselves slightly, Harry mentally spoke. "_Hello, I just want to talk. Can you let your little friend there open up so we can all be a part of this?_"

Blaise lightly slapped the boy on his shoulder, prompting to open his mind. "_Thank you. Now, I was just curious why three Slytherins would put themselves in a_ _position to be yelled at by the masses. Would you care to indulge me?_"

Daphne responded. "**_Not every Slytherin is a Death Eater in training. We know how to duel, and keep ourselves out of trouble, but we want to learn how to protect ourselves better. One never knows when the Dark Lord calls upon the Pure-bloods not in his service, and we'd rather stay out of the insane old bat's clutches._**"

"_How do I know you weren't sent here by the Death Eaters, or their kids?_"

Blaise smiled. "**_One never truly knows everything. You'll just have to trust us, despite the fact that Gryffindor's can never trust a Slytherin._**"

Harry chuckled. "_I learned from experience to never paint an entire group with the same brush. You know you're not helping me justify keeping you around to the rest of the DA, right?_"

The little boy piped up. "**_You can send us 'packing out' whenever you want._**"

Harry stifled his laugh before anyone could notice. "_I can, but I actually want you three in the DA. Occlumency is a useful skill, and I need someone to help me teach it to our group. Besides, I've never seen you three join in on any of the Slytherin schemes that I know of, so I'm willing to accept your olive branch. Now, how am I going to convince the others not to curse you out of the door?_"

Blaise smiled. "**_That's your problem, not ours._**"

Blaise and the little boy immediately shut their minds to Harry after that statement. Daphne shook her head as Harry spoke to her. "_Keep these two around after the meeting is over, and the four of us, with a couple of my friends, will discuss this further._"

Daphne nodded as Harry pulled back his mental awareness and closed his own mind. He nodded to the trio and beckoned them to follow as he walked back to the stage. Once there, he climbed back on and helped the trio sit on the edge of the stage. "Alright, for those of you staying, I have decided that these three are the first to be officially accepted as DA members."

"What?" Zacharias exclaimed. "Why are we letting Slytherins in?"

"Yeah mate," Ron added. "What's the deal with letting these three in just like that? You're not even done with your little elimination testing."

"It's because these three know Occlumency," Harry stated. "And they agreed to help me teach all of us."

"Wait a minute," a tall Gryffindor said. "How do you know that they know Occlumency. You didn't say anything to them. Unless-"

"Unless I know Legilimency, which I used to find out who can stay and who can't." Harry interrupted. "I kicked out every wannabe Hero, fan girl, and idiot who wasn't trying to take the DA seriously. Those of you staying either thought about protecting loved ones, or you thought about nothing at all."

"But," The Gryffindor boy sputtered. "That's an invasion of privacy!"

Harry cocked his head to the side. "I'm taking the DA seriously. As such, I have no room for anyone who isn't as well. We're going to school in the middle of a war, and we're planning to get involved with that war. I've done a lot of studying this summer in order to make sure everyone in this group has a fighting chance. Dumbledore ensured that I could protect my mind by getting me an instructor in Occlumency and Legilimency, which I promised to only use in defense or under extreme circumstances. I feel the need to ensure those in the DA are taking this as seriously as me is a good justification. If you don't like that, then you can leave right now. If you don't like that we will also be training with three Slytherin students, you can also leave."

I've gained and lost a lot since becoming a Wizard, and this summer I realized that if I don't smart up and fight Voldemort like I'm planning to, then more people I love will die. If you get involved here, the chances of getting attacked go up. If you don't like that, then you're not as deeply involved in this war as I am and should reconsider being here. Dean Thomas, a Muggleborn who was killed this summer, thought that this was worth doing and was attacked for it as a message to others. He fought like a man. If no one else is planning on doing the same thing then GET OUT!"

Harry stood on the stage, his face red and contorted with rage. All of the prospective DA members took a step back in fear. The Slytherin trio looked at Harry with curiosity and more than a little respect. The DA was awed at how seriously Harry has taken the DA and Voldemort.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "Yes, I used Legilimency. Yes, I expect everyone to take the DA seriously. Yes, I'm letting anyone who wants to be here," He waved his hands towards the trio sitting on the edge of the stage. "stay. And Yes, I will continue using Legilimency for the remainder of this process. If anyone doesn't like that, or is afraid that I'll find out something about your motives here that you don't want me to know, then leave."

Most of the group left standing began grumbling. Over half the group left the room while the remainder, including the tall Gryffindor, stayed. "Alright, now I'm going to ask all of you two questions and using a mild form of Legilimency. It will be useless for anything except to tell whether or not you're lying. Are any of you being blackmailed, bribed, or threatened to get into this group?"

Harry stared at the group with his mental awareness surrounding all of them, looking for any signs of guilt, or admission. He spotted three Hufflepuff boys who were threatened and blackmailed into trying to join by Malfoy, and two young Ravenclaw girls who were threatened by a group of seventh year Slytherins. There was also two seventh year Gryffindors who were bribed by the ministry with offers into respectable positions within the Government. Harry figured that after removing these seven along with their friends, he'll be left with only seven members (not counting Blaise, Daphne, and the Slytherin boy).

"Alright," Harry said before anyone could answer the question. "You three over there, you two, and you two over there," Harry pointed at all of the students he mentioned. "I want all of you to leave, along with your friends. None of you could answer the question with 'no,' so you can't stay. I'm removing you friends so that you won't be tempted to ask them about what happens here. I don't blame any of you for trying, and hold no ill will against any of you if you leave quietly. The rest of you: welcome to the DA's first meeting this semester. I hope all of you are willing to join into our review session today. The faster this goes, the faster the original DA members and you start learning new things I found this summer."

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N: **A lot of this chapter was a pain, but I felt these speeches were necessary to get out of the way. The next chapter will have more action, I swear.


	14. Introductions

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 14: Introductions  
By: Nanio-713**

"Well," Harry began once the Platform the older DA members were standing on disappeared. "Let's begin with introductions by our new members before going over all of the spells from last year."

The entire group sat in stiff chairs positioned in a large circle, with all of the new members sitting next to each other. Su Li, who was sitting on the far left, began by waving at everyone. "Hello, I'm Su Li. I'm a Ravenclaw fifth year, and I heard about the DA through Cho and Harry."

The boy next to Su Li, who was also the one protesting Harry's use of Legilimency, stood when Su Li finished speaking. "I'm Cormac McLaggen, A seventh year Gryffindor. I'm the top of my class in Defense and Charms, and am a member of the Slug Club."

The boy held an arrogant smirk as the rest of the students looked around in confusion, most likely wondering what the slug club was. As the boy sat back down, a small girl stood up nervously. "H-hello, I'm Na-Natalie…"

"It's okay," Harry interrupted. "You don't have to stand up if it makes you uncomfortable. I wasn't expecting anyone to, really."

McLaggen's eyes narrowed as the girl nodded and gratefully sat back down. "I'm Natalie MacDonald, a Gryffindor third year. Dennis recommended I join, since I'm Muggleborn and I should learn how to protect my parents."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement. Taking this as her cue, the long-haired fan girl Harry noticed in his legilimency search stood. "Hi, I'm Romilda Vane. I'm a third year Gryffindor, a Scorpio, and I enjoy playing Gobstones."

Harry quirked his eyebrow at the girl's introduction, but did not say anything. The introductions continued with a lanky Ravenclaw boy with tousled brunette hair named Stephen Cornfoot, his friend Kevin Entwhistle (both were sixth years), and two sixth year Hufflepuff girls named Laura Madley and Megan Jones. As it was Daphne's turn to speak, the three Slytherins turned to each other and nodded.

"Daphne Greengrass, sixth year."

"Blaise Zabini, sixth year."

"Malcolm Baddock, third year."

The DA members grumbled at the distinct lack of introduction, but Harry brushed off their concerns by making the chairs disappear and causing most of the group to fall on their bums. The only ones not to fall were Harry, the Slytherin trio, Luna, Hermione, and Ernie Macmillan, who managed to stand before their chairs disappeared completely. "You should all pay careful attention to your surroundings. The room of requirement is not an ordinary room, as you all should know by now. I can use it to do whatever I want, like make the chairs disappear, so I want all of you to be on your guard from now on."

After saying this, Harry raised his wand and shot a stinging hex into the air. Suddenly, the ceiling expanded and a strange pipe appeared in front of the spell, forcing the spell to go through it. The pipe was long, elaborately curved, and seemed to continue materializing out of nowhere. It was like something Harry once saw in a cartoon. The pipe curved in several directions before suddenly completing itself behind Ron, causing the spell to come out and hit the boy in the bum.

"Blimey Harry, that hurts." The red-head yelled. "Watch where you're shooting that thing, will you?"

"Just trying to prove a point." Harry replied. "Now everyone pair up, we're going to practice disarming spells and the impediment jinx. I want everyone to be able to cast it practically in their sleep."

The rest of the meeting went smoothly. The newcomers quickly learned how to cast the spells, and it did not take long for them to be able to cast the spell with precision and ease. Harry was impressed: While the disarming charm was easy, the impediment jinx took some time getting used to. However, the newcomers acted as if the jinx was the easiest spell in the world. Harry then moved onto stunners, which caused a considerable amount of frustration for everyone. It seemed that the whole of the DA nearly forgot how annoying it was to be knocked out with a single spell, while the Slytherins and Harry were not being forgiving in their spell casting. Harry was so disappointed in how bad people got with casting the stunner that he stopped everyone and demonstrated how to cast the spell with the least amount of excess movement.

Time past quickly after that and, before everyone realized it, soon everyone was on their way to their dormitories. The only ones left were the Slytherin trio, Harry, Cho, Ron, and Hermione. Harry conjured a round table and everyone sat down. At first, everyone was quiet. It seemed that everyone was unwilling to say anything, but before Harry could say anything Blaise asked a question. "When, exactly, did we sign up to help you teach occlumency? I remember you saying you wanted to teach the DA, but we never agreed to help."

"Well," Harry smiled. "I needed to give the people a reason to keep you around, and that was the easiest way."

"I see no reason why we should help teach anything." Malcolm stated.

Harry's smile grew larger. "Well, if you don't then there is no reason for the DA to allow you to stay. The DA is a democracy, not a dictatorship, when the group is underway so it's not up to me whether you can stay or not. The only thing I can give is incentive to keep you around."

"And don't forget," Hermione added. "The three of you came here to us. We did not search you out and invite you. You can act as arrogant as you want, but don't think it will give you any sway here. There is no care for pureblood supremacy here. In the DA we're either equals, or we're nothing."

Daphne reached out her hand and picked up a glass of water which suddenly appeared. "So that's how this room works." Daphne took a sip of water as Hermione's face became tinged with red. "Do you truly think yourselves equals? Everyone seems to follow Harry blindly while he weeded out everyone he didn't want in the group. Did all of you agree to that beforehand?"

Ron responded. "Yeah, we agreed that Harry should take control of that meeting since he _is_ the one training all of us."

Blaise countered. "Then how can you say everyone is equal if Harry is the one who calls the shots? He says what everyone will learn, so he is the one in power."

Harry raised one finger into the air. "I am a natural leader, and have more clout because of it, but that doesn't mean I make all of the decisions. If any DA members have friends who didn't get into the DA tonight, they know that they can always bring them later." Harry raised a second finger. "Also, removing members is a group decision. We removed Michael Corner from our group earlier today because two members brought up complaints against them. If people bring complaints against you, then we'll have to decide as a group whether or not you can stay."

Malcolm crossed his arms. "Still, why should we be the ones to contribute to the club and not all of its members?"

Cho mimicked Malcolm Malcolm's actions. "Think of it as a show of faith. You help them, and they'll trust you. You take without giving, and you get nothing. Most of the DA contributed last year by not snitching on the rest of us, and the new recruits will find their own way to prove their loyalties. You three, however, need to be a little more public in your proof due to the house prejudices."

Blaise was about to retort but Harry cleared his throat to stop her. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but a decent amount of the prejudice is justified in the previous actions of _both _houses, so you just have to deal with it."

Blaise huffed and tossed back a strand of hair from her face. "I don't think gaining everyone's trust is a sufficient reward for our training services. What else can you offer?"

"Besides training in the DA?" Ron countered. "Do you really need more than that? I don't see why we should give you anything else."

Everyone at the table was silent. After a moment, a document appeared on the table in front of Harry. He turned it around and slid it towards the Slytherins, whose eyebrows rose in shock. "If you prove yourselves loyal and train the group, as well as prove that you have no malicious intent to the group, I'll register you at the ministry for a license to learn and practice Legilimency. I'm already registered, so I'm allowed to train anyone I deem fit to learn. No one else in the DA is being offered this ability besides you three. I haven't even offered this to Ron and Hermione yet."

Hermione scoffed. "That's because we don't need to go sneaking into other people's heads."

"What about your girlfriend?" Blaise asked. "Are you going to teach her?"

"That's irrelevant," Harry stated. "This isn't about how prestigious my offer is, but the fact that I offered at all. If any one of you three break any of the laws on Legilimency, all four of us – you three, and myself – will lose our license to practice and can be fined or arrested for one person's offense."

Daphne smirked. "So if you break the law, we can lose our license, too?"

Harry shook his head. "No, the law works up, not down. Students aren't punished because of the master, but the master can be punished because of the student."

"But what about your use of Legilimency earlier, Potter?" Blaise replied. "Can't that be considered illegal?"

Harry smirked. "Article seventeen of the Legilimency act of 1515 says that any government sanctioned dueling group or club can use legilimency on applicants to ensure the safety of its members, ever since the Dark Lady Maleficent wiped out the Manchester dueling club, of which she was a member. All official Hogwarts clubs are registered at the ministry, so it was well within the law for me to do what I did."

The Slytherin trio looked at each other, nodding and shrugging in what Harry could only assume was some sort of code, when Daphne reached across the table and offered her hand to Harry. "We'll accept your offer."

Harry shook their hands and the trio left the room, followed by Ron and Hermione. Cho was on her way out the door but stopped when she felt Harry grab her hand. "Harry, you have your meeting with Dumbledore in half an hour. Don't you want to prepare for that?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to ask you something first." Cho nodded and turned to face Harry. "I was wondering if you wanted to meet in the library this weekend and study together."

Cho smiled. "Is that all?"

Harry grinned mischievously. "Then, we could go flying together for a while. It'll be fun! What do you think?"

Cho leaned closer and kissed Harry softly on the lips. "It's a date, Harry."

* * *

Harry was meditating while sitting on a bench in the now empty Room of Requirement when Dumbledore entered the room. He looked around and saw that the only other person in the room was Harry. "Harry, where is the Master of the Dementors?"

Harry opened his eyes and turned to Dumbledore. "I talked to him, and he needs a magical promise that you will not reveal his identity, or the contents of this meeting, to anyone before I do. This is not my request; it's his."

Dumbledore sighed and made the promise. Then, Harry began to meditate again. He called for his scythe, which suddenly appeared before him. Once Harry grabbed the scythe, two shadows materialized in front of the Green-eyed boy, revealing Saladin and Death (who looked the part of a Victorian era gentleman once again). Death stepped forward and bowed slightly to Dumbledore before turning around and sitting down on a newly created settee. "It is nice to meet you, Headmaster Dumbledore. Please, take a seat."

Dumbledore turned around and watched as the room created a cushioned armchair for him to sit in. Saladin opted to stand next to Death. "So Harry," Death began. "Have you told him everything?"

Harry shook his head. "Not everything. I figured a few things would be better explained with you here."

Death nodded and turned back to Dumbledore. "Well, Headmaster, I'm sure you are confused and irritated at the lack of information my newest apprentice has given you. From now on, feel free to ask any question, within reason, that you would like to sate your curiosity with."

Dumbledore nodded. "First, I would like to know who you are, and how you came to be in control of the Dementor's. I thought that they were controlled by the Ministry."

"Your first mistake, Headmaster, is that you are assuming that I am human."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "And you are not?"

Death smiled. "Not anymore. I am the manifestation of a power that few can understand. I am what you would call the Grim Reaper, and this is one of my former apprentices and Harry's new teacher, Saladin."

"Saladin?" Dumbledore's eyes widened. "The Muslim leader from the Crusades? I thought your religion forbade the use of magic, and denounced it as evil?"

Saladin chuckled softly. "_So do the Christians, but we're both well aware of their willingness to use their Paladin's battle magic. I've come to accept that this is God's way of telling me my role here in the afterlife, which is to lead powerful souls to bow before him in judgment. There is no higher honor that I can think of."_

"So the two of you are not evil beings?" Dumbledore inquired. "Then why are the Dementors so dark in nature?"

"We are neither good nor evil," Death responded. "We are merely a necessity of life. From what I've learned through Harry, you are well aware that death is not a bad thing. Neither are we. Dementor's are not evil, but death and darkness is their home."

Dumbledore nodded, and stayed silent for a few moments. After a minute, he took a deep breath and continued. "What do you want with Harry?"

"We want to train him." Death leaned back and pressed his fingertips together. "It is very rare that a human accepts this type of power, and Harry was fated to obtain it, both for his battle with Mr. Riddle and for afterward."

Dumbledore's brows furrowed. "Afterward?"

"The powers of death cannot disappear overnight. After Harry defeats the Dark Lord, I am going to have him take complete control over the Dementors. I have a treaty with the Ministry. They allow the Dementor's to come and go as they please as long as they don't upset the populace, and in return I give them an arc to the other side for research. They even gave me a scythe as a gift to solidify our deal, which Harry is now using. Granted, it did not have the powers it does now when they gave it to me, but I did not see any offense to customizing it a bit."

"I didn't know that," Harry blurted. "So does this mean I'll have to give up my life after I kill Voldemort?"

Death shook his head. "If you survive the battle with Voldemort, you will still be alive afterward. You'll just become an unofficial liaison between my Dementors and the Ministry. Then, when its time, I'll send you to the other side for a while to allow your body to accept the fact that you're dead. After that, you'll officially be dead and the head of Dementors."

Harry nodded nervously. "I understand. Thanks for clearing that up."

"Harry," Dumbledore asked. "You're willing to let him plan out your future so easily?"

"My future has been planned ever since I was first attacked by Voldemort. As long as I can protect my friends, I'm willing to become whatever is necessary. I've already accepted the fact that my life is dependent on fate. At least this way I know that I have a chance to still live a full life after Voldemort, even if I'll have to work for the rest of eternity."

Dumbledore sat back, seemingly exhausted by this meeting. "I guess that's almost everything. I just have one more question." Death nodded in understanding. "Are you a threat to anyone in my school?"

Death laughed. "I don't care about your school, or anyone in it. I will not disturb any of their lives until it is the appropriate time, and even then you won't realize that I am here. I don't plan on taking anyone prematurely, so you don't have to worry about that."

Dumbledore nodded as the small group sat in silence. Dumbledore stood up first, followed by Death and Harry. The chairs disappeared and Saladin stepped forward. "I hope this has cleared up any confusion, Headmaster. Now, if you wish you can stay and watch as I train Harry, or you may go and handle whatever other business you need to attend to."

Dumbledore smiled. "I would like to stay and watch; is that's okay with you?"

* * *

"Not counting today," Harry whined. "This has been the most annoying weekend I've ever experienced."

Cho giggled as she spun her broom in a corkscrew twirl around Harry and his broomstick, which was currently stationary 20 feet in the air above the Quidditch pitch floor.

"Well," Cho remarked. "This is what you get for practically announcing to the whole school that you're a Legilimens. You should know by know that the school either regards you in school wide awe or panic. Learning you can read minds is naturally going to tilt the barometer to panic."

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "But do they have to act like I'm reading their minds _all_ _the_ _time?_ I mean, I can understand natural paranoia, but they act like I have nothing better to do than dig deep and learn all of their personal histories. You know, I've had fourteen people – in just _two__days_ – who come to deliver a message to me and don't talk. They just think it, as if I'm going to enter their minds and pluck it out. It took me having to yell at that Hufflepuff boy, Higgins, to make people realize that I'm not just going to pluck those messages from their heads."

"Don't forget the help you got from Dumbledore." Cho remarked.

"That only helped a little." Harry rebuked. "It's one thing to tell everyone that it's against the law to do what everyone thinks I'm doing and that I signed a contract promising I wouldn't, but its quite another for people to believe that I actually follow the law."

"Well, at least one good thing came out of this." Harry stared at her while she giggled. "At least the Slytherins aren't insulting you as loudly. They just think their insults now. It's really funny when Crabbe and Goyle go cross-eyed trying to insult you telepathically."

Harry laughed and positioned his broomstick next to Cho's so he could wrap his arm around her waist. "Yeah, that's true. I just wish that things will go back to normal soon."

Cho smiled. "Just give it time. Everything will calm back down soon. Once people realize that you haven't gone blabbing everyone's secrets to all of Hogwarts you'll probable get a few weak threats from people telling you to keep quiet, then they'll all back off."

Harry chuckled as his arm tightened around Cho. "That's going to be fun. I just hope no one gets stupid and threatens you. Then I'd have to break something, and I'd rather not have to send someone to the Pomfrey."

Cho smiled. "Thanks for caring so much. Now come on, let's fly."

Cho and Harry flew about lazily, doing small twirls and dives as they flew around the pitch. Neither was in a competitive mood so they decided not to race or get a snitch. Instead, they merely basked in each other's presence. Harry was quite content to continue doing this all night, but after another half hour Cho flew down and landed on the ground. "Today's been a lot of fun, Harry, but it's getting late now."

"Oh come on," Harry pouted as he landed. "We finished almost all of our homework today in the library. We can afford to sleep in tonight. Just stay out here with me for a little while. Please?"

Cho grinned as Harry smirked and wrapped his arms around her. "Harry, I'd love to, but I have to meet with my Ancient Runes group tomorrow to prepare for our sealing presentation. I can't afford to stay up all night."

Harry's smile dimmed, but after a quick kiss from Cho he seemed to perk back up. "Fine, we'll do things your way. C'mon, I'll walk you back to your room."

Harry kissed her again, then took her by the hand and led the young woman out of the pitch. They chatted lightly on the way to the Ravenclaw tower, mostly about strange encounters Harry had with paranoid students. Harry had just finished a rather long tale involving a Hufflepuff who admitted that he had a crush on Professor Vector, despite the fact that she constantly put down his abilities in the classroom, due to his paranoia when they finally stopped in front of a portrait of a Dark-haired woman with a Raven perched on her shoulder. The raven cawed loudly as Harry gave Cho a tight hug and another kiss goodbye.

Harry wandered through the halls with little enthusiasm to reach the Gryffindor common room. _I'm just going to head to my room and read, _Harry thought. _Since everyone thinks I'm reading their thoughts, it's always awkward when I stay in the common room._

Harry pondered possible places he could go, or things he could do, when he noticed Professor Slughorn turn around the corner with a large cauldron – big enough to fit at least three people into it – floating behind him.

"Mr. Potter," Slughorn called when he saw the young man. "It's good to see you! You seem to just disappear whenever class ends."

"Well," Harry replied nervously. "I like to spend some time with my girlfriend before dinner, since we usually have to spend most of the evening doing homework."

Slughorn smiled and winked at Harry. "No worries, Harry, – May I call you Harry? – I was just hoping we could chat a bit. Do you have some free time now?"

Harry thought about lying for a moment, but shrugged it off. "I wasn't planning on doing anything."

"Excellent!" Slughorn cried. "Follow me, Harry. Madam Pomfrey just returned this cauldron after making a large batch of cold potions for the fall and winter, and I have some wonderful tea in my office that I think you'd like."

Harry nodded slightly and followed the portly man to the dungeons. After making a small series of turns the duo reached the Potions lab. Slughorn opened the door and placed the cauldron on his desk, then led Harry through a side door into his office. The room was comfortably furnished, with a desk and two small chairs in front of it for visitors. There was also a small side table near the fireplace with two more chairs next to it, presumably for social gatherings. Slughorn spent a few moments heating a small pot in his office fireplace, all the while chattering on about various anecdotes involving his classes, while Harry sat silently in a chair by the table. When the pot was nearly boiling, Slughorn removed it and poured a cup for himself and Harry.

Harry was adding a small dollop of honey to his tea when Slughorn spoke. "So, I hear from Cormac McLaggen that you're leading a dueling club, correct?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied. "It's called the Defense Association."

"That's wonderful, Harry." Slughorn smiled and took a sip of tea. "It's good to show some leadership and drive at such a young age! You should tell the slug club about it at our dinner next Saturday."

"I don't know if I can make that, Professor." Harry remarked. "The DA is having another meeting that day, and I need to prepare for it."

"Nonsense," Slughorn scoffed. "You have four other members of the Slug club in your group. I'm sure that Cormac and Ms. Su Li would like to come to the club, and I was planning to tell Ms. Granger and your girlfriend, Ms. Chang, about it tomorrow. Surely you can reschedule the meeting to slightly later?"

Harry smiled weakly. "Well, I'd have to ask the DA. These sorts of things are a group decision, after all."

"You must be running this group well, Harry, if it runs as smoothly as it appears whole still being a full democracy. You're a natural leader, just like your parents." Harry nodded, expecting Slughorn to talk about his father and the Marauders, so he was quite surprised when Slughorn spoke again. "You must have inherited your abilities from Lily."

Harry's eyebrows rose. "Really? I would've thought it came from my father, since all I ever hear about is his exploits with the Marauders."

Slughorn waved his hand dismissively as Harry drank some tea. "Your father was a smart chap, and very talented in his pranks, but he wasn't a leader. He was just popular. Your mother, on the other hand, was a true leader. She could never stand to follow someone else. That was the major cause of tension between her and your father during their younger years, since James expected her to fawn over him like everyone else."

"I didn't know that," Harry remarked, curious about what else the man knew about his mother. "So what did my mother do that made her a leader."

"Your mother was an amazing woman, Harry. When I created the Slug club she was the main person I had to spread the word about the next dinner or party. Then, I helped her create a small dueling club in her fourth year, which she ran until just after her fifth year."

Harry's eyes widened. "Who was in the club?"

Slughorn smirked. "Not many people. The club consisted of about one dozen members. Most were Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and half of them were prefects. Your father and his friends, unfortunately, did not join due to James' Quidditch demands, and his friends never left his side."

Harry nodded and drank some more Tea as Slughorn continued. "When her time with the Dueling club ended, she spent the last two of her Hogwarts years running a Potions study group. I must say that she was the greatest potions mistress I ever met. I'm sure that, if there wasn't a war going on, your mother would be known as the world's greatest Potion maker by now."

"Really?" Harry asked. "I didn't know she was so talented with potions. I wish I had inherited a bit of her skill."

"Now, now, Mr. Potter. You must not sell yourself short. While it was Ms. Li who made the best _Euphoria_ Potion in class, you showed the most improvement compared to your previous year's grades. You managed to go from one of the worst students Professor Snape had, according to his notes, to the fourth best potion maker in the class. That has to count for something, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded appreciatively before sitting back and finishing his tea. Slughorn noticed this and immediately refilled the boy's cup. The two sat in a comfortable silence before pulling a small vial out of his coat pocket and placed it on the table in front of Harry. "I know I said that only brewer of the best potion would get some of the _Felix_ _Felicis_, but I think you deserve some as well to recognize your remarkable improvement." Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Slughorn interrupted it. "Please, Harry, just take it. You deserve it. I was worried when I first heard you were in my class and showed a serious lack of talent in this field. Now I'm glad, since it appears that the son of my favorite former student is showing just as much aptitude as she did. Hopefully, by the end of this year, I can have you making brews to match Lily's."

Harry nodded and couldn't help but shed a small tear. "Thank you, Professor Slughorn."

Slughorn smiled. "Please, call me Horace."

"Alright then, Horace," Harry paused for a moment. "Horace… I can't promise anything, but I'll try to make it to the next Slug Club dinner."

_**End of Chapter**_

**A/N:** I'm not planning on taking this fic beyond the end of the school year. I just wanted to show that there is a possible future for Harry beyond Voldemort if he wins. There are no sequels planned at this point in time.

**ALSO:** I don't like how slowly this fic is progressing (especially since the next big fight scene isn't until Halloween and I'm still in the first week) so expect huge time jumps in the next few chapters. I originally expected to be halfway done by chapter 14, but this fic is obviously larger than expected. I'm going to try to pick things up a bit, and I'm sorry if the story suffers a bit for it.


	15. Information

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 15: Information  
By: Nanio-713**

Ron Screamed, before letting forth a long stream of profanities. After a few minutes of constant swearing, he finally calmed down enough for rational thought. "Damn it Harry, I'm going to kill you!"

Harry grinned mischievously. "Aww, don't be angry. It's your own fault for just standing there!"

"I told you I didn't want to be a guinea pig!"

"Ron, I needed to test this before the DA meeting tonight, and neither of us are busy right now." Harry watched his red-haired friend struggle to keep his robes from falling over his head. "I can't go in there and have a spell fail on me, now can I?"

Ron pushed his upper body forward like he was doing a sit-up and tried grabbed his ankle, trying to remove it from the magic holding it up. Seamus and Neville, who were still getting dressed, snickered as they watched Ron pull on his leg in a meager attempt to escape. After realizing the futility of his situation, he let himself fall back into his default upside-down position and crossed his arms: partially to show his anger, and partially to keep his robes from falling over his head. "Alright, we know the spell works now. So, can you take this bloody spell off now so we can eat breakfast?"

"I don't know," said Neville as he tied his shoes. "After nearly making me drink Harry's pumpkin juice to 'test for love potions,' I think we should just leave you there."

"Harry said it smelled funny!" Ron yelled. "As his friend – who probably wouldn't help hog-tying a female threat to Harry's virtue – I thought it was a good idea to have you test it and see who you swooned for."

"A sentiment Hannah would not have appreciated," Harry quipped. "So you better not let her hear that."

"Hear what?" Hermione asked as she walked into the room. She looked at Ron, who was still hanging upside down, and placed her hands on her hips before facing Harry. "Harry James Potter, why is Ronald hanging upside down?"

"Harry was practicing an un-incanted spell for the DA called _Levicorpus,_" Neville responded. "Apparently Harry can make it work just fine."

Harry smirked. "Yeah, you just wave your wand in a reverse crescent motion (**A/N:** ↓ → ↑) and think _Levicorpus_ and it," Harry waved his hand to indicate Ron's current position. "Flips you upside down like Ron."

Hermione took a deep breath before crossing her arms. "What's the counter curse? I want to go get some food before the DA meeting, and I don't want to go back to my room to go researching counter curses."

"Well that's a surprise!" Harry exclaimed. "You don't have your books? Why, I've seen a book without Hermione, but I've never seen Hermione without a book!" Harry waved his wand and Ron was quickly deposited onto his bed. "The counter curse is the same motion, and the spell is _Liberacorpus._"

"Very funny, Mr. Carroll," Hermione snapped. "I'll have to remember that the next time you wish to borrow my notes."

"Come on, Hermione." Harry pleaded as He and Ron followed her out of the dorm rooms and through the common room. "It's all just fun and games. You have Crookshanks, so whenever I see you I think of the cat."

Hermione scoffed as she walked past the portrait of the fat lady. "And what does that make Ron, the hatter?"

"No," Harry replied. "He's the duchess's son."

"Who's that?" Ron interjected.

Hermione giggled. "How is Ron the baby that turns into a pig?"

Harry smirked as Ron cried out in protest. "Ron whines a lot, and eats like a pig anyway, so I think it is fitting."

Ron glared at Harry and crossed his arms over his chest. "I agree with Hermione now. Stop using this Muggle guy's book to crack jokes!"

Harry laughed. "The two of you need to lighten up. Alice – you remember Lupin's girlfriend, right? – She doesn't mind when I make these references with her when I mirror call him, and her name gives me a much wider range of jokes!"

Hermione just shook her head as Ron spouted on about how he should make references to books that wizards would make, like the ones about Zed the Zany Muggle, to which Hermione let off a small tirade about how that book series was teaching prejudice against Muggles. Ron, offended, was about to begin his retort in defense of his favorite childhood series when Harry ran ahead of the bickering duo to practically fly down the last staircase.

Harry found Cho standing at the bottom of the staircase, which had become the norm for the past month or so. He stopped next to her, wrapped an arm around her waist, kissed her cheek, and smiled. "Hey Cho, where were you yesterday? I never found you in the Library."

Cho snorted. "I spent all day on the pitch. Since Gryffindor beat Slytherin yesterday – good catch by the way, I didn't even see the snitch by Katie's knee – Ravenclaw is determined to beat them as well; just to take them out of the running."

Hermione and Ron caught up with Harry and Cho after they sat down. They were still bickering about the political effects of the "Zany Muggle" series when Slughorn stopped at the Gryffindor table and patted Harry's shoulder. The green-eyed boy smiled up at the professor. "Hello Professor, how are you?"

Slughorn smiled brightly. "I'm doing very well, Harry. I just thought you'd like to know that your healing potion was perfect, and that even Poppy was impressed." Harry blushed lightly at the praise, feeling embarrassed at the public announcement of his grade. "If you keep this up, you may even become top of the class."

Snape, who was passing by on his way to the teacher's table, scoffed. "Potter at the top of potions? Really, Horace, you shouldn't put such an unreachable goal in front of the boy."

Slughorn chuckled. "Oh come now, Severus, I've shown you how well his marks have been improving. The boy just needed a few extra nudges of encouragement to really focus."

Snape sneered. "You'd do best not to coddle the boy, Horace. The last thing he needs is for his ego to get any bigger."

"At least I don't need to torture children in order to make myself feel better." Harry retorted.

"No," Snape agreed. "You just need to have your little fans, or the Prophet, or even a _professor_ to suck up to you for a little while."

Snape turned away from the group and stormed off, his robes billowing dramatically. Harry and his friends glared at Snape, but Slughorn just smiled and shrugged. "One's views on encouragement are another's view of favoritism, Harry. Don't pay him any mind. By the way, how did the spell work?"

Harry turned to Slughorn and smiled. "Perfectly. I tested it on Ron here and it perfect for distractions."

"Excellent, Harry." Slughorn exclaimed. "I'll tell you if I find any more tricks."

Harry nodded as Slughorn walked away, and Harry turned to face a very curious Cho and Hermione. Sighing, Harry began his explanation. "Do you remember the detention Malfoy and I got after he spouted his Death Eater rhetoric?" Cho and Hermione nodded. "Well, Malfoy spent it with Snape and I spent my detention with Slughorn. When we were cleaning up the potions lab we found an old textbook filled with corrections to the recipe's that really worked, and the occasional spell. We found _levicorpus_ and the counter, as well as this one spell the Death Eaters used on me in Sun Turn Alley."

"Really?" Cho exclaimed. "Which one was it?"

Harry chuckled and rubbed his neck nervously. "Err, it was the one I, err, chopped the Death Eater's foot off with."

"What!" Hermione cried. "Harry, that could be the old spell book of a death eater! What are you doing testing a spell from that kind of source on Ron?"

"Hey," Harry retorted. "We knew that the _Levicorpus_ spell couldn't hurt anyone because Horace knows Latin and could guess what the spell did. Do you really think I would try something on Ron without knowing what I'm getting into? _Levi_ as in levitate, and _Corpus_ as in a human body. We knew there wasn't anything directly dangerous about the spell!"

"But it's extremely irresponsible," Hermione snapped. "Trying a spell from an unknown and possibly dangerous source. It's a wonder you haven't killed yourself first like that."

"Well, at least I know that I won't be able to turn to you for help when practicing spells."

Hermione rubbed her temples. "Harry I never said anything like-"

"No, no, I understand," Harry continued. He internally smirked. _Hermione is so easy to distract sometimes._.. "You don't trust my wand work now that I've gotten friendlier with Slughorn, since he's 'elitist.' I'm compromising my morals by joining the Slug Club, and that compromises my judgment everywhere else."

"Harry, that's not it at all!" Hermione pleaded. "I just think that you should be more careful."

"I am careful," Harry sighed, taking Hermione's hand in his. "I would never try to do anything that would intentionally put anyone in the DA in danger, especially you and Ron. I always study the spells beforehand, just to ensure no one can get seriously hurt. Besides, any curses that'll seriously hurt someone will only be practiced with targets, not one-on-one."

Hermione nodded, but didn't say anything. She didn't appear completely reassured, but didn't argue with him anymore. The group ate in silence as Hedwig swooped down next to Harry with three parchments in his right claw, and one in his left. Harry smirked: the left note was always alone, and the last one Hedwig will collect. He took off the notes and fed Hedwig a piece of bacon while Gandalf landed and gave Cho a copy of the Prophet.

The first note was a letter from Alice and Lupin, explaining various activities they know about the Death Eaters. Harry knew that these letters were heavily edited because Dumbledore didn't want non-order members knowing what they knew, but Harry didn't care: his Venom told him everything _way_ before Lupin could. The next two were from Rui Chang, which entailed the basics involving two new votes on laws. The first involved confiscating the bank accounts of Death Eaters, which Harry decided to vote no on to avoid angering Goblin relations. The second was abolishing the use of marriage contracts, to which Harry agreed. Harry quickly wrote a note to Rui explaining his choices regarding the votes before finally opening the last note on Hedwig's left foot.

The last note was surprisingly small:

_H,_

_DLV is planning something big, something very big. He's not letting anyone outside of himself, Lucius, and Dolohov know all of the details. Right now, it seems like there's going to be an attack. All of the DE's are being told to not have plans for Devil's Night, and on Halloween we're to meet for an unknown reason. I'll try to get you more info soon._

_Your Venom._

Harry frowned. The Death Eaters are planning an event on Halloween? Could they be moving on Hogwarts? That left the Death Eater's only one week to plan and one week for Hogwarts to defend.

Harry looked around for someone with a spare piece of parchment and saw Ginny walk in with her bag. Harry waved at Ginny frantically, who walked over to the small group. "What's up, Harry?"

"Can I borrow a bit of parchment?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded and passed Harry a piece of parchment, and Harry cast a quick spell on it. He placed it on top of the letter. He watched as the letter copied itself, and shifted slightly to change the style of handwriting from small and concise to a longer font in order to hide the identity of his spy. When the spell was completed Harry jumped from his chair and nearly sprinted to Dumbledore when Cho grabbed his hand. "Harry, what's going on?"

Harry noted in the panic in his voice and, instead of answering, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a standing position. "Ron, Hermione, Cho, Ginny, follow me right now. I'll explain later."

Harry ran towards the Professor's table, nearly dragging Cho by the arm as he ran with his friend's right behind. He quickly made his way to Dumbledore and passed him the note. Dumbledore read the note quickly before speaking. "I would like all of you to follow me. Professor McGonagall, get Severus, Nymphadora, and Filius right now."

Dumbledore quickly led the small group to the side room where Harry remembered going in his fourth year, after his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. He waited with the small group of Gryffindors and the older Ravenclaw until Snape and Flitwick came into the room.

"What is wrong, Headmaster?" Snape asked. "The students are already whispering about what could be happening. You rarely move in such a manner to disrupt the students."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Harry has some news he wishes to share with us." He passed the note to Snape, who read it and passed it to Flitwick.

"My informant just wrote me that," Harry said. "It's a reliable source, and I thought the order should know in order to prepare some sort of defense in case Voldemort decides to attack here or in Hogsmeade, or even at Grimmauld, on Halloween."

"That's even if he is planning to attack on Halloween," Snape stated. "I have not heard anything of this yet. However, that could just be because I'm not due to meet my contact for another hour."

Harry grinned, knowing that Snape had to lie in order for Cho to remain ignorant of his status as Dumbledore's Spy. "My informant is very well placed. I think we should at least warn the Order, just in case."

Snape took the letter from Flitwick and stared at the parchment for a while before scoffing. "This must be a forgery, Headmaster. I know the handwriting of the Dark Lord's entire inner circle through my contacts, and I don't recognize that one."

Harry smirked and patted his pocket. "In order to keep my informant's identity secret, I make copies of her letters when I show them to others. Only I ever see the originals."

Before anyone could even blink, Snape unsheathed his wand and yelled, "_Accio!_" Harry raised his hand and cried, "_Protego!_" Snape's wand flew out of his hand and landed in a corner as Harry reached down and pulled his wand out of his pocket.

"Harry," Dumbledore said curiously. "You've never said anything about being able to do wandless magic. How did you learn to do that?"

"You know that I've been training for the past month, Professor. After I got past the early stages of training, I learned how to conjure shields without a wand."

Harry smirked. That trick was well earned, in his opinion. It had taken three weeks to free himself of his magic and take control of his body. Saladin had explained that the Magic wasn't really his, but the amount Harry gathered from his surroundings while using the Dementor's powers. As such, gathering small bits and incanting spells allowed him to cast spells without the use of his wand or scythe, and Harry was glad to discover that it also worked when he wasn't wielding the scythe, and practiced for the last week with different shields that he learned over the summer.

Snape snarled. "Why you cheeky little brat! Do you think that just because you're being spoiled this year that you are a challenge to someone like me?"

"He was a duelist on par with you in the summer," Tonks stated as McGonagall closed the door behind herself and Tonks. Everyone but Dumbledore jumped slightly in surprise. "By now, I'm sure Harry can run circles around you."

McGonagall walked up to Snape, who passed the copy of the letter to her while Harry passed Tonks the original letter. After Tonks read and passed the letter back to Harry, she turned to Dumbledore and spoke. "So, would you like me to warn the ministry that we may need a few more sentries for Halloween, or should I just tell Madame Bones to have a few squads ready at the office just in case?"

McGonagall replied. "This note does not mention Hogwarts, so stationing people here specifically is not a wise choice yet."

Dumbledore nodded. "It's too early to decide for now. Severus," Dumbledore turned to Snape. "When you meet your contacts, try to find out something that tells us where we need to be. Harry, let me know if 'your Venom' sends any more letters regarding Halloween."

Both Harry and Snape nodded to the headmaster. "Good. Filius, put the Ghosts on alert and accompany Ms. Tonks when she goes to brief the Aurors. I want you to help them create strategies to protect the castle with just them if the school is, indeed, the main target. Otherwise, I think we should all be going about our day."

As everyone was moving to leave the room, Harry grabbed Tonks arm to stop her. "Tonks, I know you need to talk to the Aurors, but can you be in the Room of Requirement in an Hour? I want you to help me at today's DA meeting."

* * *

**_  
_******

"Hello everyone," Harry greeted the DA as they all sat down in various chairs strewn about the room. "Since everyone has finally mastered and re-mastered the Patronus charm, I think it's time for you to learn something new. Today I'm going to show you three spells: a modified levitation curse, and great limb-numbing hex, and a shield that only blocks spells, and not solid objects. This is called the incantation shield. All three spells are un-incanted, but aren't very difficult to learn since they don't require that much concentration."

Blaise, who was sitting closest to Harry, groaned. "You're just teaching two spells that do no damage and a weak shield? Come now, Harry, we're all out of our nappies. We can take a real lesson."

Harry grinned mischievously. "Well, Blaise, the spells are easy to learn and are great for disabling your opponent, and the Shield can block more types of curses than the _Protego_ spell, while protecting a larger area. Namely, it protects your entire body instead of just in front of you while using the small amount of constant focus. However, if it's too easy for you…" Harry paused while looking thoughtful. "If you can master them within half an hour of the time we start practicing, then I'll start teaching everyone dueling today. I'll even let you choose the first match."

Blaise agreed, and Harry sat down to watch Hermione and Tonks, who walked through the door as Harry explained the new spells they were to learn, took center stage and described the basic ideas behind the spells, and showed the group how to do the wand movements and what the incantations were.

Once the duo finished their explanation, Harry expanded the room split everyone into groups of two in order to practice. The spells were simple, and Harry walked around to show people how to properly move their wands. Blaise learned all three spells within ten minutes, as Harry expected, and the young black woman immediately stepped in front of the pale, Green-eyed Gryffindor. "So, Potter, are you ready to teach us some dueling?"

Harry nodded. "So who is first? Will I be facing you?"

Blaise smirked and shook her head. "I want you to duel Daphne first, in order to properly show the crowd how to hold yourself in a formal duel."

Daphne smiled. "Blaise isn't nearly as polite as I am in a fight, so it would be better if you faced me first."

Harry was a bit surprised at this turn of events, but shrugged it off. He was hoping to face Blaise in order to assess her skills, but Daphne was just as good. Malcolm held himself just like Daphne, so he could learn their style of dueling by facing Daphne just as well as he could from Blaise.

Harry asked the room for a 20 foot long dueling ring, which the room quickly provided. Daphne climbed onto the ring with Harry, and they took five steps away from each other and tuned around. Harry opened his robes to reveal a tight pair of black leather pants and a white cotton shirt which stretched tightly across his chest. Blaise opened her robes and stretched one foot forward in an aggressive battle stance that greatly emphasized a toned leg wrapped in brown leather. She also wore a tight brown leather vest with a white undershirt.

Harry smirked. "Those are different from your normal attire. They look like a standard formal duelist outfit. You two were planning this, weren't you?"

Daphne smirked, but didn't reply. Harry stood with his both heels touching and his wand held directly forward. It was a horrible form, but Harry knew it would aggravate Daphne enough to force her to attack first. He nodded to Tonks, who called. "Formal three set match. There will be no lethal spells used. Point awarded to the first to successfully incapacitate their target. Begin!"

Neither Harry nor Daphne moved for a moment. Then, Daphne cried out the disarming charm as Harry flicked his wand to cast _Levicorpus_. Since the _Levicorpus_ spell was quicker Daphne did not complete the disarming spell, but she was able to cast the counter curse before the _Levicorpus_ spell's effects could be complete. Daphne used her body's momentum to turn the spell's effect into a back flip and quickly cast the Incantation shield as she landed. Daphne expected Harry to be preparing to cast another spell, but instead realized that he was nowhere to be seen. She looked behind her and saw nothing. Suddenly, Harry's invisibility spell was removed as he past through the incantation shield in front of Daphne. He quickly kicked her left leg from under her, knocking her to one knee. He then placed his wand against her neck. "You can't do anything now, Daphne."

Daphne nodded and Tonks announced. "First point goes to Harry Potter."

Both opponents moved back to their starting positions. Daphne repositioned herself into a basic fencing stance, which Harry mimicked. When Tonks yelled for the match to start again, Daphne cast a blasting Hex which Harry deflected with a small incantation shield, and countered with the limb-numbing hex. Daphne swerved so that it would hit her left arm instead of her wand arm, and cast a stunner. The spell only grazed his side, but that was enough to immobilize half of his body and cause him to fall down. Tonks quickly announce the boy's loss. "Second point goes to Daphne Greengrass."

Daphne smirked. "Is this all you have to offer? I wonder how bad the Death Eater's really are, if you can toss them around with these skills."

Harry muttered a counter curse to regain control of his body. "Would you rather I actually start trying now? Do you think I should start taking you seriously?"

Daphne's grin became a snarl. "You bloody well better take me seriously, if you want to live through the day!"

Harry grinned mischievously. "Alright then, let's have some fun."

Harry positioned himself and put away his wand. Daphne's snarl became more pronounced, but didn't say anything as she placed herself into another aggressive stance. Harry touched the darkness within his mind and pulled a little bit of his Dementor's powers. He didn't pull enough to contact Saladin, or his scythe, but it was enough to make the room feel colder and for Daphne to allow strong feelings of fear touch her senses. As Tonks called the start of the next round, she faltered slightly under these feeling for a moment, before she crushed them in order to focus on the match. Unfortunately, this moment was long enough for Harry to run up within reaching distance. Most of the crowd was surprised at how quickly Harry closed the gap between himself and Daphne, and even more were shocked at what he did. Harry placed his hand sideways on the spot just under her breasts and whispered, "_Protego."_ Daphne's eyes widened as she was forcibly thrown back about five feet before landing unceremoniously. Her wand fell out of her hand as she landed and fell in a clatter in front of the spectators.

Harry pulled out his wand and aimed it at Daphne while releasing the Dementor's power. "Some defensive spells, like _Protego_ and the Golden barrier that I'm going to teach next, reflect physical objects as well as spells. When used creatively, they can also serve for offensive purposes. You just have to find a good opportunity, like how I did when I saw Daphne was distracted."

Daphne sat up, shaking slightly. "How… how did you do that?"

Harry's smirk turned into a menacing smile. "I didn't do anything. I just took the fight a little seriously. Would you rather I fight you like I really mean it?"

Daphne shook her head slightly. "Not right now. I'm… not feeling very well for some reason."

Harry nodded and turned to the crowd. "When dueling, you should try to remove your opponent from combat as soon as possible. Stunners, the Impediment curse, and _Levicorpus_ are useful for things like that. However, for Death Eater's it's just as good an idea to use blasting and cutting curses. If you can't knock them out, and you're desperate, don't feel bad about removing them permanently. If you don't, then remember that not removing them from the fight threatens your life, and those of everyone nearby. Now's not the time for being hesitant."

Harry closed his robes. "Since something bad always happens around Halloween, we are going to practice dueling for now as a precautionary measure. Tonks will be here today, and at our next meeting on the day before Halloween, to oversee the duels and make sure people don't get too hurt."

Harry helped Daphne stand and led her off of the dueling ring, which quickly disappeared. After giving her back her wand, Harry spoke. "It was a fun match. Go and watch Blaise and Malcolm spar while I help everyone else set up for their matches. I figure you've done enough fighting for now."

* * *

Tonks ran her fingers through Harry's hair as the green-eyed boy readjusted his head on Tonks' lap. The boy lay haphazardly along the couch he created in the Room of Requirement. Ron and Hermione sat across from the two on another couch, although unlike their friends their bodies were not touching. He had let the group out a half hour ago, and Cho was on her way to get her books from the Ravenclaw common room.

"So you're training the DA in dueling for next week." Hermione stated. "Do you really think Hogwarts will be attacked, then?"

"Even if it was, what would two dueling lessons before Halloween do to help our chances?" Ron continued.

Harry chuckled. "Two lessons won't do much, but it'll at least keep the group from being taken out immediately. Plus, I'm hoping it will show them how well they really are, and be able to at least gauge whether or not they're in over their heads. But, I don't want to think about that now. I'm going to train my dueling skills every afternoon for the next week, so I just want to take these few peaceful moments to bask in the presence of my closest friends and – when she returns – my girlfriend."

The group of four stayed like that for a while, talking of inconsequential topics and the latest gossip, until Cho returned. When the young Ravenclaw walked back in, she saw Harry's head in Tonks' lap and scowled momentarily before smiling hesitantly and picking up Harry's legs and sitting down. She placed his legs over her lap, but the Boy-Who-Lived quickly moved around so his head was in Cho's lap, and his legs were over Tonks' lap.

Tonks grinned and connected her mind to Harry's. "_She's the really jealous type. Are you sure you really want a girl like this to be your girlfriend._"

Harry smiled as Cho began playing with his hair. "_Shut it, you. Cho's fine most of the time. She's just uncomfortable with our friendship. She'll get used to it in time._"

"_I hope so, for your sake. I don't want you to hurt because of me._"

"_The only thing that hurts me about you is that you hardly visit the school when you're not doing your rounds. I miss talking to you._" Harry mentally replied.

Tonks smiled slightly. "_I need to visit my boyfriend sometimes, or do things for the order. I try to stop by when I can. It's not like you're going to lose me._"

Harry was about to respond him when Cho distracted him. "Harry, shouldn't we start heading down to lunch?"

Harry glanced at his watch, which said that it was noon. Reluctantly, Harry lifted his head from Cho's lap and stood. "I guess so. Come on, guys. Let's go."

* * *

**A/N:** Expect a long delay before the next chapter is done. There's going to be major action, dueling, and one scene that I've been itching to write since I started this story, so I'm going to take care to make sure I get it right.

**A/N2:** I really need to stop my Alice in Wonderland references, but I can't help it. The book has a hold on me.

**BTW:** expect to meet the Jabberwocky before the end of this story.


	16. Halloween

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**Author's Edit:** Apparently I messed up and wrote that Narcissa was Sirius' sister, and not cousin, in Chap. 3 (good eye, **imakeeper**). Since I don't feel like editing that chapter _again,_ I'm just pointing out I noticed the mistake and won't make it again.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 16: Halloween  
By: Nanio-713**

"I still don't like the way the two of you are always practically hanging off each other." Cho huffed as she put her robes back on.

Harry, who was still sitting on the bed in the Room of Requirement in only his pants, responded heatedly. "Tonks is the closest thing I have to family! So what if I hug her more than I do other people like Hermione?"

Cho tucked her shirt back in before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "The two of you aren't actually related, so it's highly inappropriate. Anyone can see the two of you and think that there's something going on."

"So what if people think that," Harry replied as Cho put on her socks. He wasn't sure how this argument started. One moment he was feeling her bum through her skirt, and the next she was accusing him of being unfaithful. "Since we all know it's not true. Cho, you know you're the only one I care about like that."

Cho turned to glare at Harry. "It is somewhat hard to remember that when my boyfriend's has another girl running her fingers through his hair. Harry, I love you, but I think we're at the point in our relationship where I shouldn't have to compete for your affection."

Cho was about to stand and look for her shoes when Harry's arms came to wrap around her waist. Harry shifted himself so that he was sitting behind Cho, with his legs on both sides of her body. "You don't have to compete for anything. You know I only want to be with you, and not Tonks. She's got a boyfriend – which should tell you something – and she and I don't want our relationship to change from a familial aspect to anything else."

Cho sat silently, tears threatening to fall as she tried to calmly free herself from Harry's warm embrace. "Are you sure about that?"

Harry cupped Cho's chin and turned her head so he could look into her eyes. "Yes. We care about each other – maybe more than is conventional – but there is nothing between me and Tonks that could ever hope to endanger anything between me and you."

Harry slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly against hers. A tear slid from Cho's eye as she pressed her lips more firmly upon his. Their kisses progressed slowly, with Harry calmly helping Cho turn around and drape her body over his as the couple leaned back onto the bed. Harry slid his tongue out and teased Cho's before pulling back, causing Cho to moan slightly. The young woman pulled away from Harry enough to stop his attempts to kiss her more. "Harry, do you love me?"

Cho knew Harry never let that word slide from his lips, so she wanted to know. She _had_ to know what he felt for her. Harry slumped back on the bed, no longer attempting to steal another kiss. "I… I don't know." Cho shifted her body, but Harry wrapped his arms tighter around her waist to prevent Cho from leaving. "I barely understand familial love, so I don't think I'm ready to really admit to romantic love. However," Harry kissed Cho's neck. "I do know that I've never felt this way about anyone else. I don't know what I'd do if you left me, Cho."

Cho smiled weakly as more tears fell from her eyes. Yes, she knew that Harry loved her, even if he was afraid to say it. Still, it hurt that he wouldn't. She knew that, if asked, he would readily admit to loving Tonks even if it wasn't in the way most people thought. Why couldn't he admit his love for _her?_ "Harry, please don't play with me like this. I want to know if what we have is real. I just want to know that you won't leave me for someone else."

Harry smiled reassuringly. "Cho, this _is_ real. There is no one else that I want to be with. I am your boyfriend. I don't want to be with anyone else but you."

Cho smiled slightly and eased Harry back into a laying position on the bed. He scooted himself further towards the center of the bed before Cho straddled his hips and took off her shirt once again, revealing a lacy white bra. She lowered herself and began to kiss and nip at Harry's neck with her teeth, causing small moans. She pulled Harry's neck back suddenly and placed her mouth on Harry's neck, making him growl as the nerve endings in his Adam's apple sent pleasurable signals to his brain. Cho smiled; some guys didn't like that – Cedric certainly hadn't cared for it when she tried it on him – but she knew that Harry's neck was very sensitive, and the green-eyed boy loved the feeling of baring himself to another person without fear of being hurt like that.

She quickly found the positions turned, though, when Harry somehow slipped from under her and began tracing a series of butterfly kisses down her back. He placed a few more solid kisses here and there, where he knew her more sensitive spots were, but he mostly stuck to very light kisses along her spine. She moaned as he worked his way down, before coming back up and undoing her bra with his teeth. She turned around and exposed herself to his appreciative gaze. He looked upon her front in wonder, committing every soft curve and color to his memory. Her breasts were not large – a handful at best – but her nipples were perfectly set. They were slightly smaller than his thumb pad and, as Harry discovered after he descended and took one into his mouth, tasted wonderfully.

Cho gasped in surprise as Harry suckled slightly upon her left breast before swirling his tongue around her nipple and then flicking it lightly. Harry watched her reactions to ensure that he didn't go so far as to cause her any pain. He noticed that her reactions to his touch increased drastically upon her breasts, so he kept his touches soft and short in order to ensure that he didn't cross the small threshold of pleasure and pain that Cho could experience.

Harry switched from Cho's left breast to her right, she groaned. "Harry, I love you. I don't want you to be with anyone else."

Harry kept silent as he continued swirling his tongue along the edges of her breast.

* * *

"So you didn't say anything?" Ron asked. His ears were so red Harry was surprised they weren't sizzling.

"What could I have said at that point?" Harry retorted. "I already told her that I wasn't unfaithful, and I couldn't say that I loved her. What could I have said?"

"You could've said 'I know' or something like that," Neville quipped. "It would've been really suave. Can you pass the toast?"

Harry nodded and passed him the toast. The three Gryffindor boys were sitting in the kitchens eating an early breakfast, since none of them were able to sleep well and were out of bed long before breakfast started. The house elves scurried around, bringing the trio eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, juice, and milk.

"So," Ron wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Did anything else happen after that?"

Neville sighed. "You're incorrigible, Ron."

"No," Harry replied. "A little more kissing, but nothing else. I left her in the Room of Requirement and sealed it so that no one could go in until after Cho left, and even then the Room is going to ask me for permission. I don't think that doing anything before Halloween is a good idea, anyway. Of course, that's unless you are finally admitting to someone that you like them."

Ron's blushed as Neville added, "Yeah, mate. When are you finally going to tell Hermione you like her, and add your name to the ranks of the Gryffindor boys who've been kissed? "

"I-I haven't found the right time!" Ron huffed.

"What about yesterday morning, when we were all making plans for Hogsmeade today?" Neville asked.

"What?" Ron yelped. "We were all just gossiping about how no one under fifth year could leave the grounds!"

"Yeah," Harry partially conceded. "But then we talked about what people were planning on doing as alternatives, and then we stated our own plans for Hogsmeade."

Neville sighed. "Ron, you really got to get moving on this. If you don't do something, then Hermione's going to find someone else before you ever get the chance."

"I have seen her talking a lot more to Ernie," Harry added. "Plus, Justin's been talking about asking Hermione to the party Slughorn's planning in November for the beginning of the magical plant harvest."

Ron seemed to get more peeved. "Look, I'll ask her out when I ask her out! What does it matter if I wait a day or two?"

"It makes you appear immature," Neville chimed. "Girls don't want guys who are immature. You're sixteen, Ron, and you haven't been kissed by a girl yet. Most girls saw me as immature until after the Department of Mysteries scandal, and Hannah approached me because she realized that I can be forceful when necessary."

"The girls around the school still see you as childish because of your temper," Harry stated. "Occlumency has ensured that I don't snap in public anymore, and Draco's mostly left us alone for the past two months, so I seem to have grown in the public's opinion. You, however, still bicker with Hermione all the time. No one's seen you mature, or even change your general attitude, in the past year."

Ron didn't say anything, and Harry and Neville backed off. They ate their meal in silence, interrupted by a few small jokes and tidbits of information. Harry sighed as he watched his friends, wondering what was going to happen today. His venom sent another note saying that the communications blackout was occurring early, and she didn't want to risk Hedwig's safety, so she couldn't say where the attack would be held. Snape wasn't told what was going on, so he's been sulking about the castle. _Goddamn it, I should've gotten her one of those Journals._ Harry berated himself over the lack of foresight. _If I would've sent her mine and asked for Cho's back I could know what's going on. But Noooo! I had to decide to wait until I could go into Hogsmeade! _

Harry ate in silence and finished his food well before Ron and Neville. Once the other two boys finished, the trio walked back to Gryffindor tower. Harry took a shower before walking back to the Room of Requirement and waking Cho. She dressed quickly before giving Harry a quick kiss and dashing off to the Ravenclaw dorms. Harry resealed the room and made his way to Gryffindor tower, resolving to do some work before heading off to Hogsmeade.

* * *

"I sense something," Harry stage whispered to Cho, Ron, and Hermione as the trio walked into Hogsmeade. "A presence I've not felt since…"

"What?" Hermione nearly giggled at Harry's antics.

"Ah… I sense a ferret."

"Hey Potty, Weasel," Draco barked from behind the group. Harry and company turned around to face the blond boy and his entourage, which consisted of Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Theodore Nott. "I see you're taking the mutts for a little walk. It's good you're giving your bitches some exercise."

"Hello, Draco." Harry drawled. "It's good to see you've been let off your leash. Aren't you're afraid he won't wander off and get lost somewhere, Parkinson? Ferret's have a tendency to do that, you know."

Ron snorted. "I think she's more worried he won't get lost and plague her for the rest of her days."

"What is that, Weasel?" Pansy said mockingly while holding her hand to her ear. "I can't hear you over the sound of your father begging on the corner."

The Slytherin's howled as Harry grabbed the back of Ron's robe to prevent him from attacking the group. Ron, however, showed a rare sense of tact and didn't move. Instead, he merely snapped a biting retort. "No, Parkinson, it sounds more like your mum spreading her legs again. You know those rusty old legs of hers are starting to creak rather loudly nowadays."

Ron, Hermione, and Cho began chuckling as Draco's face darkened. "Choose your last words wisely, Weasel. We wouldn't want you to choke on them."

Harry eyed Draco warily. "We'll be sure to put that on your headstone, Malfoy. It'll be a fitting epitaph for you"

Draco looked Harry up and down before retorting. "I can't wait for the day I make you pay for your insults, Potter. I'll guarantee that your end won't be quick."

Draco snorted and spit at Harry's feet before shoving him out of the way. Harry pulled out and flicked his wand, magically transporting the saliva from his shoe onto the end of Malfoy's robes. Once the boy was out of earshot, Cho giggled and asked, "Was using magic to do that really necessary?"

"No," Harry replied. "It wasn't necessary. It was fun. Really Cho, I thought you'd know the difference."

Cho laughed and hugged Harry before the group made their way further down the street. The group traveled down the street in a comfortable silence before stopping at Honeydukes. As the group went inside, Harry stopped Cho and handed her a few Galleons. "Cho, can you get me some chocolate frogs, some every flavor beans, and whatever else you want? I think I'm developing a headache and I want to spend a few minutes out here getting rid of it."

"Alright," Cho answered. "But are you alright? If you want, we could just go somewhere else-"

"Don't worry," Harry chuckled. "A few minutes of Occlumency and I'll be fine. Really, I'll be fine out here."

Cho nodded warily before going inside the store. Harry leaned against the store and began to rub his temples. _Why would Malfoy say something like that?_ Harry pondered, _Malfoy, when he's not talking about his wealth, usually chooses his words carefully. Is it possible the attack will be on Hogsmeade? Or is Malfoy just yanking my chain?_ Harry grunted and pushed the thought aside. _Malfoy wouldn't know where the attack is going to be. Even Bella didn't know before the communications blackout, and he couldn't have found out since then._

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when Ron stuck his head out from the door to Honeydukes. "Harry, get in here. They have a new version of Chocolate frogs! Now there's regular _and_ crunchy! Plus, there are these new lollipops that change your hair color. We can mess with Tonks by changing our hair color to the same style as hers!"

Harry laughed and followed Ron into the store. After Cho gave Harry the bag of sweets she collected for him, he added some crunchy frogs, some hair-changing lollipops, some sugar quills, and a few other sweets before paying for his and Cho's candy. The group then left the store and began making their way to Zonko's when they noticed a small group of Wizards running out of the Three Broomsticks. Shortly afterward, the group covered themselves after a large explosion blew out all of the windows of the Three Broomsticks.

Harry quickly pulled out his wand and yelled, "Hermione, Cho, Go get Dumbledore, Tonks and the Aurors! This may be the attack."

Before anyone could move, Three Death Eaters with masks stormed out of the establishment and began throwing Cruciatus curses to those nearby. "Hermione, Cho, go now. Ron, stick by me and watch my back."

Everyone nodded and the girls began running towards the school. Harry ran forward and threw two stunners at the Death Eaters in front of the store before following up with an impediment jinx. Ron shot two stunners to the Death Eater across the street from the store and cast a spell blocking shield as Harry cast one over it that only blocked physical objects. The Death Eater dodged Ron's stunners and cast a cutting curse, which bounced off the shields. The two Death Eaters Harry faced began barraging the shields Harry erected with spells and levitated pieces of glass in order to break them, while more Death Eaters made their way out of the Three Broomsticks. Harry noticed Madame Rosmerta, her eyes glazed by the Imperius curse, as she began casting blasting curses to nearby stores. Harry threw the _Levicorpus_ at her, which she dodged only to be caught by the stunning curse Ron cast immediately afterward.

Harry and Ron split up, and for a while all Harry did was cast blasting and cutting curses at his opponents as they blocked and did the same. He cast a giant shield around himself that blocked physical objects when the Death Eaters decided to rush him from all sides, and used the moment two enemies spent recovering from bouncing off the shield to cast blasting hexes, damaging one man's leg and hitting the other in the chest, causing his robes to burst open and large wound to open. The injured Death Eaters apparated away, while the four other members surrounding Harry redoubled their attack on him. Harry ducked and dodged their spells until a few DA members - Zacharias, Parvati, Lavender, and Ernie – appeared and began battling with the dozen enemies who were standing in the street.

Harry took a moment to catch his breath before stunning a Death Eater who was attacking Ron from behind as the redhead flipped his enemy upside down with a spell and Harry quickly followed up with a _sectumsempra._ Harry Ran into the store to make sure any patrons who were in there were safe. Seeing that those who were still inside consisted mostly of adults and were only stunned, Harry quickly made his way back outside.

The sound of apparition greeted the boy's ears, and he noticed four masked Death Eaters, a Peg-legged blonde man Harry assumed was his old seat's representative, and Bellatrix Lestrange. He felt her mental awareness surround him and lowered his shield just enough to hear her thoughts. _Quickly,_ Bellatrix mentally snapped, _Stun_ _me as soon as possible. I won't just take it, to make my fighting appear real, but I'll leave myself open at times._

Bellatrix pulled her probe back as the peg-legged man – Harry remembered his name was Gibbon – and Bellatrix ran forward and the other four moved into defensive stances. Harry silently cast a spell to burn off the man's fake leg, which one of the Death Eaters behind put out, before casting a stunner at Bellatrix. The woman swerved to the left to avoid it, causing it to graze one of the four men behind her. Harry threw another stunner at Gibbon, who fell to the ground. As the other three worked to undo Harry's spells, the black haired boy shot three stunners in rapid succession at Bellatrix. The aristocratic woman dodged two, but was caught by the third. Before the crowd could enervate her, Harry _accio'd_ her and threw her into the Three Broomsticks.

Two of the four masked men and Gibbon surrounded Harry, while the other two moved to intercept more DA members and the newly arrived Aurors from the castle. Harry noticed that the two new Death Eaters began fighting, and holding their own, against multiple Auror's before turning and casting a banishing charm on Gibbon. The two other Death Eaters cast the Cruciatus at Harry, who dodged and countered with cutting curses. Both raised shields and attacked again, while Gibbon stood back up and added his own spells.

Harry was quick to dodge and counter the enemy attacks while planning his next move. He steadily moved back as his opponents pressed forward, until he saw an opening. The Death Eater on the left got too close to Harry while trying to cast a cutting curse, so Harry pulled him forward and redirected the man's wand towards the other Death Eater. The spell grazed the second man's head, knocking back his hood and cutting off the mask to reveal the face of Lucius Malfoy.

Harry knocked out the Death Eater in his hands by punching him as hard as possible in the back of the head and turning back to the elder Malfoy and Gibbon. "Well Potter, it looks like old times. I can't wait to fight you again."

Harry used his Legilimency to attack Lucius, and ran into a sturdier mental barrier than before. _Heh, I can still break it, _Harry thought. Before he could do so, however, Gibbon distracted him by casting his own banishing curse. Harry flew back two feet before falling over. He quickly regained his footing as Lucius began to laugh. "The Dark Lord strengthened my shields, Potter, so it won't be so easy to do that again."

Harry smirked, "So the old coot finally figured out how to learn from his previous mistakes, eh? That's good to hear. As much as I'd rather end this as soon as possible, I'm glad that this fight can get interesting"

Lucius' face darkened and silently cast two spells, which Harry blocked with a wand-less shield spell. He conjured a small barrier around himself before unleashing a barrage of blasting, cutting, and fire spells at his two enemies. Lucius and Gibbon ducked and dodged while sending a variety of spells back at Harry. The shield held up until Harry caught Gibbon's prosthetic leg with a cutting spell, causing the man to fall down. Harry followed up with a burning spell, which ignited the man's wand arm.

With Gibbon incapacitated, Harry dodged two stunners, which Lucius cast after a small barrage of spells broke Harry's barrier. As Harry moved to avoid Lucius' attacks, Gibbon put out the fire on his arm and returned to the fight throwing even deadlier curses.

Harry ducked, dodged, and blocked with everything he had. The two were working in such a coordinated fashion that Harry barely had time to retaliate. He sent out a couple banishing charms and a nifty fire spell that sent a few fireballs at gibbon and the elder Malfoy, but mostly stuck to defense. Harry lost track of where he was going with his two enemies, so he was rather surprised when he tripped over a rock and fell to his back, immediately noticing that the Shrieking Shack was not too far behind him.

Harry quickly stood and turned his attention back to Lucius, who was clapping. "You did a very good job at dodging our attacks, Potter. We expected you to be good, but I didn't expect you to survive this long. Luckily I'm paranoid and planned for this possibility to occur."

Once Malfoy stopped clapping, four more Death Eaters appeared from around the corner of the building. The group fanned out and surrounded Harry. "I know you are a good fighter, Harry, but from what I've seen of your skills you aren't really capable of fighting more than three, maybe four, men at a time. As such, I had a few of our better fighters, and a couple others susceptible to the Imperius, ready to welcome you here. So, how will you deal with six fully trained magical fighters?"

Harry took a moment to catch his breath before responding. "Is death an acceptable answer?"

Lucius shook his head. "No, we need you alive. You'll just have to settle for torture and imprisonment."

Harry smirked. "Oh, I didn't mean _my_ death."

With that said, Harry reached within himself for the power of his scythe. The Death Eaters felt the temperature drop and noticed that Harry was changing. His hair seemed to grow a little, and seemed to go from wild to flat, hanging limply from his head. His skin, which looked full and healthy, seemed to pale in the sunlight as a cold shiver worked through their bodies. Then, black fire burst from his hand to reveal a large black-handled scythe and another burst of fire appeared next to Harry, revealing Saladin.

"Hello Saladin," Harry greeted his mentor. "I wasn't expecting you to appear. What are you up to?"

"_You are battling these heathens,_" Saladin responded. "_So I must fight alongside you, as your mentor, to banish this scourge to hell._"

Harry nodded. "While I appreciate your help, won't this cause a few problems since the Dementor's are working for Voldemort?"

Saladin withdrew two scimitars from his robes and moved into a battle-stance, while Harry moved into a similar stance with his scythe. "_The Dementor's work for Voldemort, but I am not a Dementor. I am an agent of GOD!_"

Saladin jumped towards the three Death Eaters to the left and began pushing them back, away from Harry and the other Dementors, with an intricate series of slashes and thrusts. Harry suppressed as much of the magic surrounding him as he could before moving to the right and attacking Gibbon, Malfoy, and the third Death Eater. He began pushing them into the left half of the clearing and swung the scythe in a low half circle. "_Maximus__Sectumsempra!"_

Since Harry swung so low, the three Death Eaters were able to jump over the curse, but weren't ready for the blast of dirt and debris that the spell knocked into the air. The dust temporary blinded Harry's enemies, and the loose rocks pelted the three men long enough to distract them from Harry's follow-up, which consisted of kicking away the unknown Death Eater and Lucius Malfoy before slamming the non-bladed end of the scythe into Gibbon's throat. The peg-legged enemy fell to the floor, gasping and choking, as Harry turned around and pointed one end of the scythe at the unknown Death Eater.

Harry focused very intently on a mental picture of the Whomping Willow. "_Portus!_" The man's mask began to glow with a bright blue glow before he suddenly disappeared. Lucius Malfoy recovered in time to see his comrade disappear. "When did you learn how to cast that charm?"

Harry took the lull in fighting to move into another fighting stance. "I studied the theory behind apparition, and used my understanding of that to make a portkey."

Lucius' eyes widened. "You're definitely something else, Potter. You've gotten much more powerful since we last fought, and seemed to learn tricks about magic I've never heard of before. Did the Dementors teach you this after they rescued you?"

"The Dementors?" Harry repeated mockingly, "No, it was someone far more powerful than them who has taught me. Let me show you some more of what I've learned."

Harry noticed through the corner of his eye that Gibbon finally recovered his breath and was shakily standing up. He ran towards the man and slashed his scythe, intent on taking his life, but a loud crack announced that the one-legged Death Eater decided to escape. "Pity," Lucius stated. "Now the man will be killed by the Dark Lord for running again. He wasn't such a bad person; he was just incompetent."

Harry turned his attention back on Malfoy as the man cast a stunner. Harry swung the scythe and sliced the spell in half like he saw Death do in his first encounter with him. The magic pushed against the blade for a moment before splitting in half and disintegrating. Harry then began to spin the scythe in circles, using magic to keep it spinning and threw it at Malfoy. Lucius jumped to the side to avoid the blade and cast a series of un-incanted dark spells at Harry, who avoided them by wandlessly creating a shield. A small tug pulled at his mind, like a rope that was pulled taut in his head, when he saw the scythe crash into a tree and fall to the floor. Harry quickly pulled this mental rope and watched at the scythe began flying back to Harry, although it was no longer spinning. Harry caught the scythe and began spinning it in front of him, while incorporating using the magic of the shield into the magic that allowed the scythe to spin without his hands. This then allowed Harry to pull his hands away and feel, in his mind, a sort of string tied from himself to the magic controlling the scythe.

Lucius launched a few blasting curses and stunners to knock away the scythe, but the spells were deflected by the shield Harry created. Lucius launched another set of spells, which did not knock down the scythe but managed to break the shield. Before he could capitalize Harry used the magical connection in his head to raise the spinning scythe above him and launched it at Malfoy. The Blond man dodged it, and Harry yanked the magical connection to force the scythe to change direction so that it flew towards Malfoy again. Harry noticed, though, that it was very hard to make the scythe change direction in mid-flight and it took a lot of concentration to do that. Lucius, who noticed Harry was momentarily distracted, turned to look at the scythe which had changed direction. He avoided it again and quickly yelled "_Crucio!_" before Harry could change his weapon's direction again.

The Cruciatus curse knocked Harry back and he lost his concentration, causing his weapon to fall to the ground. Harry felt his body burn with pain as the spell began to run its course. Harry began to use his Occlumency to lessen the curse's effect again but Lucius stopped the spell before Harry could fully regain his senses. Malfoy quickly followed up with a full body-bind and moved to stand in front of Harry's frozen body. "You shouldn't use technique's you haven't perfected yet, Potter. They leave you open."

Harry's eyes narrowed and he launched a mental probe at the older man. As soon as Lucius felt Harry's probe, though, he raised his foot and stomped the boy in the privates causing him to pull back his probe. Harry let out a ragged moan. "No, no, Potter, that won't work this time. My shield is strong enough now that I can at least stop you before you can break through."

Lucius took a moment to look at the other fighters and Saladin, who was holding off the three men effectively. The three Death Eaters had surrounded Saladin and were attacking in turns to keep the man distracted, although by the time Lucius looked at the fight the spirit had figured out the attack pattern of the three and used the gap to stab and kill the masked man nearest to him. A flash of light blinded everyone for a moment, then the dead body fell to the ground.

Lucius sighed, "I hope that wasn't Carrows; he was the one controlling the two civilians. _Accio mask_." The mask flew off of the dead man to reveal an elderly gentleman with a long grayish-brown beard. "Oh good, it was just Dumbledore's brother."

Harry, seeing his opponent was distracted, used the time to use a mental probe to push his wand from its hiding place up his sleeve into his hand, where he used it to cast the counter-curse and free himself. He then pulled the scythe back to him. Lucius turned back to Harry's body to see him crouching and watching the scythe fly back towards the pair. He took a step back to avoid getting hit by the weapon and raised his wand. "_Avada__Ked-_"

Lucius' eyes widened as he felt the blade of the scythe pierce his chest and slice through his heart. Carrow, who stepped back and ordered the other brain-washed fighter to press forward and attack Saladin, watched as Harry forced the blade of his scythe through Lucius' chest. "Retreat!" he bellowed at the other fighter, and the two quickly disapparated away. Saladin, now standing alone with two bloody swords in his hands, turned to Harry and moved walked him.

Harry panted heavily as he stared into Malfoy's eyes after stabbing him. He expected them to slowly fade and close as the man died, but instead noticed that Lucius' was still painfully alive. Before Harry could contemplate why, tendrils of light traveled out of the wound in the blonde man's chest, up the scythe, and connected to his hand.

There was a flash of white and all Harry could see were flashes of memories. _Lucius was five and receiving a lecture on the superiority of pure-bloods from his father… he was six now, and learning the names of all the important bloodlines… he was nine and met Dolohov and other friends who would later become Death Eaters… he was eleven and sitting in the great hall being sorted… he was sixteen and signing the marriage contract to Narcissa Black… He was out of Hogwarts when he first met the man who was known as Voldemort…He was gaining favor in the eyes of the Dark lord, and was offered the first chance to break in their new recruit, Bellatrix Lestrange, so that she may learn to love the ways of the Death Eaters…_

A few more memories flashed before the light dissipated and Lucius slumped over, dead. Harry, reeling back from the memories, couldn't support the man's weight and dropped the scythe, causing the body to fall on the floor. Harry sat down and pulled back the magic of the scythe, causing it to disappear.

Saladin stood next to him and placed a pale hand on the boy's shoulder. His was the most of Saladin had ever seen of the man. "Don't worry, the first soul you collect is always the most disorienting. You will get used to the flashes, and even enjoy the feel of their life coursing through you for that brief moment. The memories are always fleeting and you won't remember any unless you want to. They're always significant points in the people's lives."

"I feel… different." Harry noted.

Saladin nodded. "You are accepting you destiny as an agent of God. You'll notice that you don't rely as much on the power you take from others, and your internal magic will be much larger. We'll need to train to make sure you get used to that."

Harry nodded before standing. He wobbled slightly and Saladin reached out to steady the green-eyed boy. After taking a moment to regain his senses, he let go of Saladin and grabbed his wand. "Come on, there might still be fighting in Hogsmeade and we have to help out. Then, we can tell them about the two out here."

Saladin nodded, and the duo quickly rushed back towards the Three Broomsticks.

* * *

_**  
**_

**A/N:** I've been waiting seven chapters to kill Malfoy. That last scene went through no less than three revisions before I found an adequate way to finish the man off. I hope you enjoyed it.

**BTW:** I will explain Voldemort's lack of appearance in the next chapter.

* * *

**OMAKE (I couldn't help myself):**

"I sense something," Harry stage whispered to Cho, Ron, and Hermione. "A presence I've not felt since…"

"What do you sense, Harry?" Ron asked nervously. "Is it V-Voldemort?"

"No," replied Harry. "It's your mom."

"Oooohhhh!" Hermione exclaimed. "Snap, man, he dissed your moms!"

"Very funny, Harry." Ron growled. "Now seriously, where are we headed?"

"Let's go to Zonko's," Harry answered. "That place is always good for some fun… like your mom!"

"Oooohhhh!"


	17. Dealing with Death

**A/N:** I've made peace with the fact that book 7 is coming out before my story ends. Have you?

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 17: Dealing with Death  
By: Nanio-713**

Harry, partially covered in blood and tired, quickly reached sight of the Three Broomsticks as he ran with Saladin. The two noticed that there seemed to be no immediate threat anymore, and the people seemed to just be cleaning up. Harry looked around: many buildings had windows destroyed, doors damaged, and a couple even had holes in the walls. Harry looked around for familiar faces, but only saw Aurors or adult he never met before. When they reached the pub, Harry and Saladin quickly went inside and stopped when he saw a dozen wands pointed at him.

Harry raised his hands in submission. Tonks, who was near the back of the crowd, pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "Wands down, that's Harry and an ally." The others lowered their wands as Tonks stepped forward and embraced Harry. "Thank Merlin you're alright. You gave quite a number of people a fright by disappearing."

"Sorry about that," Harry mumbled as Tonks pulled away to check the boy for injuries. "Malfoy and Gibbon were double-teaming me and pushed me back to the shrieking shack, where another death eaters and two fighters under the Imperius curse were waiting. We got back here as soon as we could."

Tonks led Harry back to the table all of the other inhabitants of the room were surrounding and sat him down. Madame Rosmerta, who seemed to have a large bruise on her forehead, gave him a bottle of Butterbeer as Tonks sat down next to him. "Right now we're mapping out where the Death Eaters who arrived were fighting, what's damaged, and things like that. Can you help us? What do you remember?"

Harry looked around. Saladin moved to stand near the entrance of the pub. He saw a few Aurors he didn't know, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus, and Professor Sinistra. Harry nodded and began recounting the events of the battle from when he first arrived at the Three broomsticks. He continued until he reached the part where he fought at the shrieking shack, where he became much vaguer about the fight, and how Saladin arrived to help him. When he reached the part about Aberforth Dumbledore and Malfoy's death, he merely stated, "Lucius Malfoy stated that Aberforth was being controlled by someone named Carrows, then after some more fighting I transfigured a rock into a scythe and stabbed Malfoy. Once he died Carrows and the other fighter being controlled by the Imperius disappeared."

The group nodded and made various marks and corrections to their map. Harry, his curiosity burning, quickly spoke again. "So how did the fight go over here? I was separated pretty quickly, and don't know much about what happened here."

Everyone glanced at each other before Tonks spoke. "It wasn't too bad. After two deaths when the fight started in the Three Broomsticks there were no more casualties, but a few Aurors and a large amount of Hogwarts kids got injured. Ron's sporting a nasty gash on his arm, but Hermione and Cho are alright. As for the Death Eaters, we counted three dead and one captured."

Shacklebolt snorted. "It would've been two, but a Death Eater managed to get into the Broomsticks and revive Bellatrix Lestrange before Ron could finish telling us you threw her in there. Damn bitch nearly knocked off my head."

Harry managed to suppress his urge to wince. _Four enemies died, and I killed two,_ Harry thought. _Did I do the right thing? At least Bella wasn't captured._ Harry pushed away the guilt which was growing in his stomach. "What did you do, attack her and get hurt?"

Shacklebolt nodded and took a drink from the table, downing it in one gulp. Harry drank his Butterbeer in silence as the group slowly worked to figure out what the damage to Hogsmeade was. Harry sat in silence for ten minutes before Amelia Bones apparated into the Three Broomsticks. "Bad news, everyone, Diagon Alley was hit at the same time Hogsmeade was. I just got the figures back from the initial report. Four civilians dead before the Aurors arrived, and three Aurors killed after Voldemort," Everyone but Tonks and Harry jumped, "himself arrived. The numbers would've been higher if we wouldn't have been able to contact Dumbledore. We only managed to capture two people who were under the Imperius and caused one casualty on their side, who turned out to be Fudge's old undersecretary, Umbridge, under the Imperius curse."

"How do you know she was under the Imperius curse?" Harry inquired.

Amelia replied. "The two people we captured are known adversaries of Voldemort," everyone jumped again, "and said they and Umbridge were grabbed at the same time."

Shacklebolt sat down and wrote down the new information Amelia Bones gave. "So that means that we have four dead Death Eaters, three Aurors, four bystanders, and two people who were under the Imperius."

Amelia nodded. "Who was the other person under the Imperius?"

"Aberforth Dumbledore," Shacklebolt stated. "Apparently they had a powerful mind controlling those under the Imperius. It was probably the same one who did so during You-Know-Who's first reign."

Amelia nodded again then looked at the report once again. She turned to Harry once more. "So you managed to take out two of them, eh? And your friend over there took out Dumbledore's brother?"

Saladin spoke before Harry could. "_We did not know he was being controlled at the time. Either way, he _was _attacking me. My response was justified."_

"We'll be the judge of that," Amelia replied tersely.

"_The only one able to judge me is God,"_ Saladin replied. "_Are you trying to claim that title? Greater powers than you have tried and failed."_

"Madam Bones," Tonks spoke before the two could argue further. "We already have their statements. Would you mind if I sent Harry and his friend back to Hogwarts? I'm sure Dumbledore would like to talk to them."

Amelia thought about it for a moment before answering. "Sure, but make sure Dumbledore understands that we are able to pull either of these two aside for questioning later, if necessary."

Tonks nodded before leading Harry and Saladin outside. As they walked towards Hogwarts Tonks sighed in relief. "Man, you're lucky. Bones looked like she wanted to skin your hide for talking to her like that."

Saladin snorted. Harry, not wanting Saladin to get any angrier, spoke. "Saladin, the battle's over so you can go. Let Death know the finer points of what happened, if he doesn't already."

Saladin nodded. "I will see you soon."

Saladin disappeared in a blaze of black fire. Tonks whistled as she threw an arm around Harry. "I like your friend. He's got a lot of spirit in him. So, what really happened at the Shrieking Shack?"

Harry smiled grimly as he told Tonks exactly what happened. He went into great detail explaining the last part, when he absorbed Malfoy's soul. "It was a little like what happened to the two of us, only on a smaller scale. I saw a few glimpses of his past – nothing actually stuck in my mind, though – and then suddenly I was stumbling back because of Lucius' added weight. It was so strange, though. He was still completely alive and cognizant until that light flashed."

"That is strange," Tonks remarked. "He should've fallen over immediately after you stabbed him. Maybe it has something to do with your powers?"

"Yeah," Harry stared at the floor as they walked. He was quiet for a moment as a tear made its way down his face. "Tonks, I killed two men today. I… I didn't try to just stun them, either. Yet, I didn't feel a thing. I killed one and went right on fighting. And then I fought Malfoy… I was so preoccupied with his memories that I didn't think about what I'd done."

Harry slowed down until he finally stopped. His shoulder began to shake as he tried to keep himself from crying out. Tonks embraced Harry tightly, one hand running through his hair as he began crying into Tonks' shoulder. She transformed in order for his shoulder to better rest on her shoulder and held tightly as Harry sobbed. She whispered, "Shh, it's okay. Everything will be okay. You had no choice. You made the right choice."

Harry wasn't sure exactly how long he stood there, crying into Tonks' shoulder, but when he pulled away the sun was almost completely down. He brushed the tears from his face. "Thank you, Tonks, I really needed that."

Tonks smiled. "Don't worry about it. We'll just make sure to have another talk soon to help you get through this."

"No," Harry replied. "That won't be necessary. I'm starting to understand these new powers, Tonks. I think," Harry gulped. "I think that's why those memories flashed into my mind. My powers… they're trying to let me understand who Lucius Malfoy was. It wasn't all bad, but it wasn't much good, either. I really understand who it was I killed, now."

Tonks didn't know quite how to respond. "Well… IF you ever need to talk to me, just send Hedwig over and I'll take a break from patrols."

Harry nodded, and Tonks proceeded to lead Harry back to the castle. As they reached the front door they ran into Severus Snape. "So you're alive, then? What a shame…" Severus shook his head. "Dumbledore wants to see you. Follow me."

Harry and Tonks nodded and began to walk toward Dumbledore's office, but Severus grabbed Tonks' arm. "He stated that he wanted to see Potter, not you."

Harry growled. "Let her go, Snape."

"Call me Sir or Professor, Potter." Snape replied. "Five points from Gryffindor. Now, Miss Tonks, I think it would be best if you left."

"No," Harry said. "I won't go anywhere without Tonks."

Severus turned to glare at Harry, and for a moment the green-eyed boy prepared for the man to attempt to pry into his mind. He felt nothing, however, and the man began to sneer. "In agreement with the deal between the Headmaster and the Ministry, no Auror's are to enter the building without permission from a Teacher unless it is an emergency or important business. There is no emergency here, so go. Now."

Tonks grinned. "But there is important business, Severus. I need to inform Dumbledore about the damage to Hogsmeade, and whether the Ministry thinks it's necessary to keep the Auror's here or in the Village."

Snape's sneer became a scowl, and he roughly pushed the pink-haired Auror away roughly. He straightened his robes before snapping. "I guess Potter won't have anything worthwhile to say, so I guess it doesn't matter whether you're there or not. Follow me."

With that, Snape glided towards the staircase with Harry and Tonks in tow. The two walked comfortably next to each other without feeling the need to talk. Harry was comfortable with having his closest companion next to him, and Tonks was just happy that Harry was alive and well. Snape walked fairly quickly, so Harry and Tonks had to practically jog too keep up with the tall man's pace at times. When they finally reached the Gargoyle, Snape said the password ("Starburst") and the group moved onto the winding staircase.

"You know," Tonks stated. "That's the first time I've heard Dumbledore's password _not_ being some sort of sweet."

Harry chuckled. "Yes it is, Tonks. There's a Muggle candy called Starbursts."

Tonks sighed in disappointment, which made Harry laugh harder. Snape turned to glare at them for a moment in an effort to shut them up – unsuccessfully – and turned back to knock on Dumbledore's door.

"Come in," the Headmaster called.

Harry, Tonks, and Snape walked in to see two men in Dumbledore's office. The first was Hestia Jones, and the other was a tall, lanky man with dirty blond hair and a crescent scar from just below his left eye to his nose. He had two piercings in his left earlobe, and had an old scar on his lip that could've been from an older piercing that recently closed.

Dumbledore smiled and stood from behind his desk. "Ah, Harry, come on in. I was just talking to Hestia about the attacks on Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. How are the two of you?"

Tonks shrugged. "Neither of us are harmed in any way. What are you doing here, Alex?"

Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise. _This is Tonks' boyfriend?_ Harry looked the man over. _He's decently built, and he's got a rugged look. Yep, he's definitely Tonks' type._ Harry presented his hand to the man. "Hello, I'm Harry Potter."

Alex shook the younger man's hand. "I'm Alexander O' Malley. It's nice to meet you." He turned back to Tonks. "I got here a few hours ago to talk to Dumbledore about something, but then the attacks happened and everything was sort of put on hold."

Tonks nodded. "So what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Alex replied. "A Nightmare escaped during transport and we've yet to find it. I was just warning Dumbledore that it may be hiding in the Forbidden Forest, which could be a problem."

"Yes," Dumbledore affirmed. "Flaming horses in a densely wooded area can be a large problem. We'll keep a lookout."

Alex nodded. "I guess I should be going. See you next weekend, Tonks?"

Tonks nodded and Alex left smiling. Harry smirked at Tonks, but kept his mouth shut. He stepped forward and sat in front of Dumbledore's desk as the man offered him a lemon drop, which he refused. "Harry, I've invited you here tonight in order to share information. I would like to know what happened at Hogsmeade, and I'm sure you would like to have a better understanding of what happened at Diagon Alley."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Excellent," Dumbledore exclaimed. "I have spoken to your friends, who are currently in the Hospital wing, and they have given me an explanation as to what happened in the early stages of the battle. However, no one knows what happened to you after the second wave of Death Eaters arrived. Would you care to share with us?"

Harry glanced warily at Snape before wincing slightly. _Carrows_ _is going to tell everyone about my powers, including Snape. It won't be long before rumors start._ "I was battling three Death Eaters, which included Gibbon – the old Potter representative on the Wizengamot – and Lucius Malfoy. I incapacitated the unidentified fighter, but Gibbon and Malfoy pushed me back away to the Shrieking Shack with coordinated attacks, where he had other reinforcements."

Dumbledore leaned back at his desk. "What happened then?"

Harry struggled to word his next part properly. "Saladin, whom you've met before, was watching the fight at Hogsmeade and saw Malfoy lead me off, and jumped in when I was surrounded. I quickly incapacitated one opponent by using a portkey to send him within range of the Whomping Willow, then-"

"When did you learn how to make a portkey?" Snape interrupted.

"The same place I learned how to fight against three skilled Death Eaters." Harry smiled as he watched Snape's scowl deepen. He felt the slightest of probes and chose that moment to violently counterattack. His mental shields went up full force as his probe smashed into Snape's, nearly breaking them upon impact. Snape bucked slightly as Harry continued his assault. "Are you alright, Snape? You seem a bit dizzy."

Snape, realizing that no one else in the room is using their legilimency to know what the two were doing, pulled his probe back and strengthened his shields in order to keep Harry out of his mind. "What a dangerous path you walk, Potter."

Harry smiled. "I don't make the rules; I just follow them." Harry turned back to Dumbledore and pulled back his probe. "Anyway, I then attacked Gibbon with a cutting curse, but the man apparated away before it hit. Then, I conjured a scythe, which I've been training with, to fight Malfoy and Managed to kill him. Saladin was fighting the other three men, two of which we learned were under the Imperius, and Saladin killed one of the men under the curse: Aberforth Dumbledore."

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "My brother was under control by the Death Eaters? I knew he disappeared after the Death Eaters attacked his home, but…"

Dumbledore trailed off and Harry suddenly remembered something he learned from Malfoy. "Malfoy said a man named Carrows was controlling them. As far as I know, Carrows was the strongest Legilimens in the Western Hemisphere during the first War with Voldemort. It's not too surprising that he was able to overpower your brother."

Dumbledore took a moment to regain his senses, and to make sense of everything Harry said. Dumbledore understood that Harry used his new powers from Death and was veiling what really happened with half-truths, but Dumbledore could tell that the core facts were truth. After a few minutes of silence, Dumbledore took a few deep breaths and spoke. "Thank you, Harry, for telling me all of this. Now, as for Diagon Alley…"

Dumbledore stood and moved to a side table, where he poured himself a cup of tea. After offering some to Harry, who refused, he sat back down and took a sip. "I received word of the Hogsmeade attack through the Aurors, who were warned by Miss Granger and Miss Chang, when another Auror floo'd me and warned that Voldemort and a small group of his followers were attacking Diagon Alley. Finding Voldemort the larger threat, I immediately set out to fight in Diagon Alley. Once there I found five dead and another on his way to the afterlife, courtesy Tom Riddle. I immediately engaged him, but it appears that he's gotten much more powerful since the Department of Mysteries. His magical reserves were much higher, like yours, than they were five months ago. However, unlike yours, I think he used sacrifices to increase his reserves."

"What makes you think Harry's magical reserves are stronger?" Tonks asked.

"He just fought against roughly half of the Death Eaters or so in Hogsmeade at least once and is still wide awake and ready for more," Dumbledore answered. "If that fact says nothing about his reserves, than what does it say?"

Harry nodded. "I am stronger than I was four months ago, but That's not important right now. Was there any significant damage to Diagon alley? Did anyone we know die?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Florean Fortescue was found dead, along with some of his customers. Other than that, it seems that Voldemort has also taken to learning more powerful spells, mostly those that specifically break magical shields and Barriers. There are many shields and barriers you've taught the DA, so I thought that would be important for you to know."

Harry nodded and smiled mischievously. "Well, it's a good thing I was planning on changing my lesson plan, isn't it?" Dumbledore nodded as Harry pondered something. "Headmaster, I… need a favor."

"Really," Dumbledore responded. "How may I help you?"

Harry took a deep breath. "No one is allowed to leave their common rooms, or the Hospital wing, can they?"

* * *

Ron, Cho, Hermione, Ernie, and Lavender walked slowly into the Room of Requirement. Ron's right arm was wrapped tightly in bandages, Ernie's left arm was in a sling, and Cho and Lavender were limping slightly. As they looked around, the rest of the DA was standing around. Cormac McLaggen Walked pompously towards Ron. "Hey Weasley, what's going on? Why did our Head's tell all of us to come here?"

Blaise, who was standing near the door with the other two Slytherins, added, "Yeah, why are we here?"

Ron raised his left hand. "Hey, I don't even know why we're here."

"We're here," Harry stated as he walked into the room. "Because I need to explain a few things to everyone."

"Harry!" Cho exclaimed and ran to her boyfriend. She pulled him into a tight hug and started crying. "We were all so worried about you! When you disappeared…"

Cho began crying harder, and Harry wrapped his arms around Cho and began to rub her back. "Shh, calm down. I'm okay now. I'm safe, and you don't have to worry anymore."

Harry stood like that for a while until Cho finally calmed down enough to let go. She wasn't completely comforted – not by a mile – but she was calm enough for Harry to move away and continue what he was about to say.

"Now," Harry walked to a newly created platform at one end of the room. "How many people were in Hogsmeade today?" One dozen people raised their hands. "Alright, now how many people were at the Three Broomsticks, or the surrounding area, when the attack started?" Almost half of the arms fell. Harry saw Parvati, Lavender, Ernie, Zacharias, Ron, Cho, and Hermione at the fight, so he knew their hands would stay up. "Did everyone else make it to the fight in the end?" Everyone who didn't have their hand up shook their head. "Alright, why didn't you fight?"

Cormac spoke first. "Once the Aurors arrived they began yelling for all Hogwarts students to leave or aid others in escaping."

Blaise continued. "I fought one man who attacked me, but another Auror quickly took him out and yelled at me to help others escape despite the fact that all the bystanders were already gone."

Harry nodded. "I'm not very surprised. We must accept that in smaller fights, the Aurors will not willingly allow us to stick around."

"Smaller fights?" Zacharias snorted. "You called that a small fight?"

"Voldemort wasn't there." Harry paused as a shudder went through the crowd. "He and another small group attacked Diagon Alley. I consider any fight without him to be small."

"Voldemort wasn't there, and neither were you." Blaise retorted. "By the time I got there you were nowhere to be seen."

Harry sighed and began to pace across the platform. "I was led to the Shrieking shack by two Death Eaters who were attacking me, where there was an ambush. I barely survived the trap, and it resulted in the murder of an innocent man and Lucius Malfoy." A sudden silence engulfed the crowd. "I killed two men, and watched a third die. Ron used a Levitation spell on a Death Eater, who I killed with the cutting curse. Then, I stabbed Lucius Malfoy through the heart. There may have been another way to stop them, or incapacitate them, but I chose the most permanent solution: murder. Why?"

Ron started. "Harry, there wasn't any other choice-"

"Wrong!" Harry exclaimed. "In every situation there is always a choice. I chose to kill the levitating Death Eater. Now, why did I kill them?"

Everyone was silent until Ernie spoke. "I noticed that every time I stunned someone, after a while another Death Eater would _ennervate_ them."

"Exactly," Harry nodded. "If everyone was revived after a while, then the fight would stagnate. By killing the Death Eater while there was still such a small amount of them, I gave our side a tactical advantage. Once more arrived, though, it mattered much less. Everone would be too busy later on to revive their partners periodically unless one side is retreating."

Harry got off the platform and began walking through the crowd. "Another good tactic for fighting is by hurting them. Don't move to just stun the fighters. Burn them, cut them enough to scare them, or otherwise harm them. Death Eaters are so used to fighting unopposed that the moment they're hurt they'll run away. They may come back after a healing spell or two, but that still means they completely leave the fight for a while. I made at least three people leave Hogsmeade by hurting them with something like a cutting or blasting curse, which I'll teach you at the next meeting. We've been focusing a lot on defense, and now it's our turn to learn how to be the aggressors."

"I asked Dumbledore to let all of you come here for one reason: so that you can understand what happened today. There will be lots of rumors flying around soon about what happened in Hogsmeade. Some will be pretty accurate, and some will be the complete fabrications of an overactive imagination. I just wanted to let you all know the truth of what happened from my perspective. To let you all know that we held our own against the Death Eaters when most people are just slaughtered. I am here to tell you that we are going to teach the Death Eaters that they are mortal!"

A large cheer rose through the crowd surrounding Harry. All thirty one of the other DA members let out a large yell in celebration to the nearest thing the DA has ever had to a real victory against Voldemort.

* * *

**A/N:** Not a particularly good chapter, but I felt the last part needed to be wrapped up.

* * *

**OMAKE**

Harry stood roughly forty-five feet in front of him. He stood with his scythe lying next to him and his Death powers surrounding him. Ron and Hermione stood next to Harry, Hermione holding some sort of laptop computer connected to a headset, which Ron was wearing. Hermione gave a thumbs-up and Harry brought his palms together. He moved both hands by his right side and arced his palms so that he created a small circular area between his palms. He felt the magic surrounding him and began to pull it within himself. He felt the magic building around him, nearly suffocating him with its power. Then, he began focusing it into his hands.

A small ball of light appeared between Harry's palms, and steadily began to grow. "Ka…" Harry chanted "Me… Ha… Me…" the ball within his hands got bigger and bigger until it engulfed his arms and became brighter than the natural light coming from the sun, glowing with a powerful blue light. "HA!!!!!"

Harry through his hands in forward and a beam of blue light flew from his hands towards the whomping willow. When it connected, the blue light began to engulf and destroy the tree. After a while the glow dissipated and all that was left was a wide chasm leading into a smoldering crater in lieu of the Whomping willow.

Hermione stared at the screen of the laptop in confusion. "Ron, what does the scouter say about his power level?"

Ron took off the head gear and smashed it in his hand. "IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!!!"


	18. The Price of Fame

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 18: The Price of Fame  
By: Nanio-713**

School for the next few weeks became rather difficult for Harry. As he predicted, rumors about what happened at Hogsmeade spread like wildfire. Some were accurate enough that people understood that the fight mostly focused around the shopping district of the village, while others were so wild they made the fight seem like the entire countryside was crawling with Death Eaters and dark creatures. Other rumors involved himself, and varied just as greatly: Some claimed that Harry ran from the fight, that he was stunned or otherwise taken out quickly, and some even claimed that Harry acted like some sort of magical berserker, blowing things up left and right. Only few rumors even came close to the truth of Harry's powers, and those were spread by the Slytherins after Draco confronted Harry outside of the Great Hall.

Harry had just finished breakfast and was walking out of the Great hall alone when he was suddenly tripped by some sort of spell. Harry quickly rolled out of the way, and dodged a stunner. He pulled out his wand and pointed it where he saw the spell originate from only to see Draco Malfoy looking at Harry as if he was some sort of parasite. "I'll kill you for what you did to my father, Potter."

Harry grinned. "Right here, in front of the Great Hall. You've got a lot of confidence, Malfoy. If I could take out your father, what makes you think I can't take you down?"

Malfoy growled. "You may think you have the edge now, Potter, but soon I'll show you that your little Dementor friend won't always be there to protect you."

"I didn't need anyone to beat your father, and I won't need anyone to beat you." Harry said coldly.

"Threatening another student?" Snape drawled as he left the great hall and ran into the two adversaries. "I'm afraid that'll cost you ten points, Potter. Now move along."

Snape treated Harry even worse than usual after Halloween, much to Harry's annoyance. Harry had no doubt that Snape new about his powers with the scythe, and that the knowledge of it was already known by Dumbledore, because ever since then Harry became his guinea pig in Defense. Now that they were done with un-incanted spells, Snape was moving on to various curses to use against dark creatures like Werewolves and Vampires. As such, he often called upon Harry to either explain or demonstrate these spells, and was verbally brutal whenever Harry got anything wrong. Luckily for him, though, he didn't get many questions wrong since many spells were being practiced in the DA meetings during dueling.

The DA was a sort of blessing for Harry at this point: they tended to help remove and otherwise debunk the worse of the rumors involving Hogsmeade and Harry, and often defended his reputation. Even Blaise and Daphne were seen debunking the Hogsmeade rumors with cold, sarcastic words. These acts were rare – he'd only seen them do it once and heard of only two other instances – but they raised his hopes as to their sincerity ever since.

Their dueling skills were even more impressive to his thoughts on their sincerity, though. When the DA began practicing one-on-one dueling, the Slytherin Trio trounced everyone else in the group completely, sans Harry (who was acting as a commentator and referee). However, instead of just rubbing it into everyone's face, they provided helpful advice and tips as to what spells work in what situations.

However, Harry knew that the trio was holding back after Malcolm faced Ron. The small third year showed a surprising amount of skill in dueling beyond his years after beating Luna and Cho back-to-back, and Ron took that loss as a personal insult. As the two faced off in a square ring, Ron showed a surprising aggressiveness by attacking with a large flurry of dangerous spells. Malcolm blocked a few with a small, glowing moveable shield and dodging the rest. Then, he followed up by running forward and kicking said shield, causing Malcolm to stumble back and the shield to break. Ron attempted to follow up with _Levicorpus_, but Malcolm recovered and did a leg sweep to stop the redhead. Ron managed not to fall over, but stumbled back enough to allow the small Slytherin to recover his footing.

The fight continued in that manner, with Ron pushing the boy back and the younger boy purely defending until Ron eventually overextended his wand arm and Malcolm was able to run in and place his wand against the redhead's chest and stun him. Harry had never seen such a display of skill from the young Slytherin before.

Lavender immediately ran forward, picking the redhead up in her arms and quickly waking him up. Harry turned away from the new couple. How those two got together Harry could never understand. One day Ron was hobbling back to the hospital wing, and the next Harry was walking into the Hospital wing only to see the two of them going at it like eels. Hermione didn't take it very well, to say the least.

Lavender helped Ron back to his feet and made quite a show of looking him over to check for injuries, which had Hermione silently bristling from the sidelines. "Well," Harry said as he stepped onto the platform. "I've never seen you display such skill before, Malcolm. I'm glad to see you've finally joined us in dueling."

Malcolm snorted. "Weasley here is the only one who has been good enough to make me actually try today. Even then, you can see the difference between the top three fighters and the rest."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "Really? And who, pray tell, are the top three?"

Malcolm waved his arm towards Blaise and Daphne. "We are."

Harry chuckled. "Well, last time I checked I beat Daphne over there, so you can't all be in the top three."

Malcolm frowned. "I'm sure you're good, since you fought off the Death Eaters at Hogsmeade, but you don't really count."

Harry's chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh. "Really? Ha ha, why don't I count? Is it because I'm the chosen one? Or, is it because you've never seen me really fight before?"

"Neither," Malcolm replied stoically. "It's because you have special powers given to you by the Dementors."

Harry's laugh suddenly cut off. He turned to Malcolm with a hard look on his face. "Well, it seems we have a conspiracy theorist ready to share his views."

Malcolm smirked. "Oh come now, Potter. You know there are lots of Death Eater children and sympathizers in my school house. Word of what really happened at Hogsmeade traveled fast. The Slytherin's are just looking to spring the information on the public for best effect."

"Much like you did," Harry stated.

Malcolm smiled. "Do you deny it? You disabled Daphne with the Dementor's abilities, and you killed Lucius Malfoy with those same skills."

Harry plastered a smile onto his face. He was thinking about telling the DA about his powers, but he didn't want anyone to think that his hand was forced. "Do you have any proof that I've used these powers?" Malcolm frowned, and Harry continued. "I mean, this is a very large claim you're tossing around. You can't just say anything like that without something to back it up."

"Well, I felt cold when you fought Daphne-"

"This is a drafty castle," Harry countered. "I feel cold winds all the time. That doesn't mean I have dark powers."

"The Death Eater sympathizers-"

"Using unreliable sources to prove your point?" Harry retorted. "Come on, Baddock, give me some real proof that I'm a Dementor-in-training." Malcolm bristled and Harry's smile went from fake to genuine. "Besides, what would be wrong if I did have the magical powers of a Dementor?"

"It's a dark creature," Malcolm responded.

"The ability to speak Parseltongue is also a dark trait, but I still know it." Harry retorted. "Having dark powers doesn't make you evil; it's all a matter of intention. If I _did_ have these special powers like you claim, what does it matter if I never use them around my allies? It's not like its any threat to them."

"How do we know you won't use them?" Malcolm countered. "If someone was to, say, challenge you to a duel, would you not use your full power? Why not use your Dementor's power to distract us and then make your move?"

"I wouldn't do that," Harry smirked. "After all, I don't have a Dementor's powers. If I did, I wouldn't use them unless absolutely necessary. Just because one has powers doesn't mean they should use them. If that were true, I would have a viper hanging off each arm whenever I was planning to fight anyone in order to use my Parseltongue to its fullest potential."

Malcolm huffed. "You're just trying to hide your powers from us so that you won't have to teach everyone else how to harness it. Admit it, you like having your own little secret weapon that no one else can use."

"Would you like to put your money where your mouth is?" Harry asked, his wand arm twitching. He was fine with people thinking he had some sort of phantom power, but he'll be damned if anyone thought he was on an _ego trip_.

Malcolm's face dropped slightly. "What?"

"I mean," Harry answered, "that a simple duel will show everyone whether I have Dementor's powers, if it's true that I should use all of my powers to defeat you."

"No!" Cho cried before running towards Harry and grabbing his arm. "You shouldn't have to fight in order to prove anything. Malcolm here is just trying to prove himself as some sort of hotshot duelist."

Harry groaned. Ever since Halloween, Cho has been treating him like he was made out of glass. She was always hanging off his arm to make sure he didn't get into trouble, and absolutely refused to allow him to fight with anyone else. Luckily, she hadn't tried to interrupt his training sessions with Saladin. If she had, then he would've had to exchange some harsh words with Cho, and he didn't like yelling at her.

Malcolm was about to respond to Cho, possibly with some snide comment, when Blaise stepped forward and smacked him in the back of the head. Daphne laughed and spoke. "You'll have to excuse my distant cousin. He's been on a bit of an ego trip after we decided to teach him a few interesting tricks we've learned."

Harry nodded. "That's fine. I doubt we'll be able to teach anything more tonight, so I guess everyone's free to go now."

The crowd of DA members began to grumble and complain, but that didn't slow them down from listening to Harry's order and packing up to leave. As the groups were filing out, Blaise moved to stand in front of Harry. "Do you mind if we talk for a while alone, Potter? There are a few things I want to discuss with you that I'd rather keep private."

Harry nodded and smiled. "Sure, Blaise, let me just talk to my friends first."

It took a bit of arguing – and some incentive bribery for Cho – but Harry managed to convince Ron, Hermione, and Cho to go wait for him in the school Library until he was finished meeting with Blaise. "It won't take more than an hour, I'm sure."

"Well," Hermione bit her lip nervously. "If you're sure you'll be alright then it is fine."

Harry nodded in agreement, and soon it was just Blaise and Harry standing across from each other in the Room of Requirement. Harry asked the room for something conducive to a proper conversation and a small, round table with a Tea set appeared. The two sat down and served themselves before Blaise began. "It's time for a little information sharing, Potter. I tell you a few things, and you tell me a few. If you lie, then things will become difficult for us in the future."

Harry poured a small amount of honey into his tea. "Can you trust me, and I you?"

"If you don't trust be by now, Potter, than I don't know what else I can do. I did what I could at Hogsmeade, and I've been helping the DA with their dueling skills. I see no reason why we can't trust each other. Would you prefer we both give an oath not to lie to each other?"

"Every deal should not have to be signed with a magical oath. It cheapens them, at that point." Harry took a sip of tea. "Very well. I'll be honest as long as you are."

Blaise smiled and nodded. She crossed her legs and leaned back before speaking. "The Death Eater children in Slytherin have been planning, Harry. They want revenge on you for killing Malfoy's father, as well as helping defeat a few of the Dark Lord's other supporters. While Malcolm's way of bringing about the information was completely tactless, the main consensus among them is that you have some sort of Dementors powers, as well as a magical scythe. For a group of that size to agree with their kind of consistency means that there's a good chance for a nugget of truth in their ramblings. Are they even close to the truth, Harry? I can't help you if I don't know."

Harry nodded. "They're not completely right, but they're not far off. I have the powers of death, or to be more precise, a Grim Reaper. I do have a scythe, and some of my abilities are similar to those of a Dementor. However, I have more abilities than they do, and I'm more powerful than one of those beings could ever become."

"Is that how you can cast wandless magic?" Blaise inquired.

"My abilities helped me understand wandless magic better, but they aren't why I can cast them" Harry replied. "Magic is in everything: Muggles, Squibs, Wizards, creatures, inanimate objects, and even the air. We all just manipulate it differently, or to various degrees. Wandless magic is just the ability to collect the magic from around you, which you then manipulate to cast spells."

"Can you run low or out of the magic within your body?" Blaise asked.

"No," Harry replied. "Magic is not finite within any object; Wizards just believe it is. We set our own limitations on Magic based on what we've been taught, whether it be verbally or non-verbally. Give me a Muggle baby and I could probably teach it to be stronger than me simply by ensuring that the child understands that Magic has no rules. It will not be easy, and simply getting a Muggle child to actually sense and manipulate magic will be difficult, but it is possible."

Blaise took a moment to digest this information before continuing. "If that's true, then why does Muggle technology not work properly around Magical areas?"

"I asked that same question myself, the last time I was training with my scythe." Harry smiled. Saladin found that question particularly amusing. "Not all technology is disturbed. Wizards can wear Muggle watches around school without worrying about them failing, and even Muggle radios are able to pick up the Wizard Wireless. The thing is, though, that since Magic has no rules there are infinite ways to manipulate it. One way is through the creation of two known categories of magic: chaotic magic, and order magic. When we wield magic for wards or other spells to repel others, we are creating a sort of unnatural diversion, which is a kind of chaos. Lots of Muggle technology requires certain conditions to be met in order to work properly, which requires magic to be in order for them to function. Muggle portable phones, I think they're called cellular phones, and computers need the surrounding magic to be in order for them to work. When they're introduced to a chaotic area, they can't function properly. And, as you know, Hogwarts is so warded that there cannot be anything within its borders that any of us can call order, aside from McGonagall's and Snape's classes."

"So what you're saying that, given the right conditions, a Muggle can be just like us and wield magic?"

"In a way," Harry elaborated. "Muggles inherently can't sense or manipulate magic, and after a while they get so used to it that they never will. However, a Muggle can always eventually be taught to sense magic. That is why Muggleborn students have parents who can tell that they're special, and can come to places like Diagon alley. They can't always be taught to manipulate magic, though. After a certain point, a Muggle accepts certain limitations within themselves that keeps them 'mundane.' Once that happens, they refuse to accept that magic is real and can't manipulate it. The Muggles cripple their abilities with magic, just like Wizards eventually accept the idea that their magical ability can't grow after a while, which sets their own limitations upon themselves."

"Really," Blaise scoffed, "the only reason our magic stops growing is because we think it does? Hmm, I'm glad I never thought my magic would stop growing."

"The idea has been planted in your mind, though." Harry countered. "You've seen others who have stopped progressing in their magical studies, or who have admitted that they've reached their prime, so somewhere in your mind you have thought that there is an end. Now that you know the truth, however, you can start combating those ideas and eventually remove them, hopefully. If you truly accept that you don't have limitations then you won't."

Blaise and Harry remained quiet for a while before Harry spoke again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get philosophical. I've just been studying a lot of magical theory, and I seem to keep arriving at these answers. So, what are the Mini-minions planning?"

"Mini-minions?" Blaise asked. Harry grinned and nodded, causing her to giggle. "Well, they're trying to find solid evidence that you're a Dementor of some sort. The wounds on Lucius' body are coming in handy, as well as accounts by Death Eaters who are still seen as respected members of society."

Harry placed his cup of tea on the table and put his hands together, crossing his fingers. "How would they know? There were only two living Death eaters who saw my other form."

"That doesn't mean anything, Harry. They can claim that they neared the Shack, which you are known to have been near, and say they felt a Dementor in the area and the Death Eaters didn't use them in this attack. They can also say that you got these powers during the time you were captured by Death Eaters. There are dozens of justifications for these kinds of claims, and the 'Mini-minions' are trying to find the best ways to effectively spread the rumors around."

"There's nothing we can do about that, unfortunately. We don't have the kind of connections to Slytherin to break these rumors, and we don't want to risk your position in the house, so we'll just have to fight the rumors as they come." A plate of biscuits appeared on the table, and Harry quickly ate one. "Are there any other plans?"

"I don't know," Blaise admitted. "There's news of a possible attack on the school being planned, but that's just speculation for now. Draco is definitely planning something as well. He's been oddly quiet since the beginning to the school year. Rumors from my network tell me that Draco had a meeting with the Dark Lord this summer, and ever since he's been bickering with Professor Snape since we've returned."

Harry nodded. "I've been keeping an eye on Draco for the past couple of days, but he's been oddly quiet. No doubt he's planning something, but he seems to be doing it only in Slytherin house and the library. I can't watch him in either place."

Blaise asked, "Why not?"

Harry grunted. "It's because house elves are not allowed in either area without permission." When Blaise raised an eyebrow, Harry called out quietly. "Dobby? Winky?"

Suddenly, a small house elf with a ridiculous amount of garments, and another elf with a tear-streaked face and blue outfit appeared next to Harry. "Blaise, I'd like you to meet two of my friends: Winky and Dobby."

Winky and Dobby bowed formally. "Dobby and Winky is pleased to meets you, missus Blazy. We's been watchin' you and the others who follow Master Potter."

Blaise smiled mischievously. "Master?"

Harry sighed. "Neither is my property, if that's what you're thinking. They're my friends, and I asked them whether they'd want to do a favor for me."

Blaise's smile didn't falter. "Did they say something about 'being in agreement' and spit into their hands before shaking?"

Harry blinked. "Yeah, why?" Bliase's smile widened. "What? What are you looking at me like that for?"

The dark-skinned girl's smile became so wide that she was now showing teeth. "Harry, you entered into a contract of servitude with two house elves. They're both yours, now."

Harry groaned loudly. "Oh, it's going to be six o'clock for a long time, I reckon. I'm going to be madder than the hatter after Hermione's through with me."

Blaise laughed softly. "It's better than the March Hare, and at least Hermione won't scream, 'Off with your head!' to the playing cards, since they follow you." Harry's eyes widened. "What, Harry? Lewis Carroll was a Squib who liked logic, and I have no qualms about reading a Squib's work."

Harry ate another biscuit before replying. "I never would have guessed. I wonder why Ron's never read the books, then." Harry mentally stored the question for later. "Speaking of qualms, how are you holding up? I'm sure being in the DA is causing some sort of strain within Slytherin."

Blaise leaned back in her chair and sighed. After crossing her legs – which accentuated her toned legs, wrapped in tight denim – she began playing with a stray piece of her straight black hair. "We're outcasts according to the more dominant members of Slytherin house, who are your so-called 'mini-minions.' Yet, that doesn't impede on our network. Many in Slytherin house agree that Pure-bloods are better, but don't necessarily agree with Voldemort's methods since they're largely indiscriminate. We move about freely in our house, and collect information in the shadows like we prefer. Malcolm's having a bit of a problem adjusting, though. Since he's younger, it's a bit easier for others to tread on him."

Harry nodded. "He seems capable of taking care of himself."

"He's a third year who hangs out with two sixth years," Blaise explained. "One of which he's related close enough to that they can't get politically married. That's not exactly social for a pureblood. He should be mingling with more of the social elite. Luckily, his work in our network is giving him solid connections and lessons in social interaction. By the time we're gone he'll be a fifth year and able to take care of himself. I've noticed you've become quite the social bee yourself. You're not nearly as awkward about your interactions as you were last year."

Harry smirked. "That's a side-effect of dating Cho. I gain experience in socializing because I not only talk to her, but all of her friends, too. Mostly its her core friends – Susan, Marietta, and Su Li – but she's still quite popular, so I have to put up with lots of people coming up to chat with us."

Blaise smiled and slowly uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them, in order to get Harry's attention. "Sounds like she's trained you well. Do you mind if I see how well?"

Harry chuckled. "Normally I wouldn't mind, but Cho has a thing about me and other women."

"Oh?"

"She promised to slowly tear whomever tried to take me from her limb-by-limb." Harry explained. "Besides, I've been seeing her for a little over four months. It's well beyond the time limit of 'playing around' and we have a real relationship now."

"That doesn't seem to stop you from flirting, though."

"There's nothing wrong with saying that I wouldn't mind peeling those pants off of you. It's not like I'm going to do it, so what's there to get mad about?"

"Was that a suggestion, Harry?" Blaise smirked and allowed her thumbs to slide along the waistline of her pants. "Or, do you just like the way these fit my form perfectly?"

"I certainly wouldn't mind figuring out how you get in and out of those things with hips that nice," Harry mentioned. "But it'll take more than tea for me to become seduced. You'll need a bottle of absinthe and fire whiskey for that."

Blaise smirked as two bottles appeared on the table. Harry began laughing hysterically and the bottles disappeared once again. "Sorry about that, Blaise. My mind has apparently betrayed me."

"It's all in good fun," Blaise replied. "You should really be like this more often. I like you as a flirt."

"Well, don't expect to see me wooing girls off their feet anytime soon," Harry replied. "Cho's gotten mighty possessive since Halloween. She doesn't want me to get hurt or seduced by anyone, so she's acting like I'm some sort of wandering puppy. I think she's two steps short of buying me a leash."

"Are you okay with that?" When Harry shook his head, Blaise frowned. "You shouldn't have to put up with that crap. Just tell her you're not her property and to give you some space. Guys like you work best when they're cared for, but not suffocated. It sounds like you're about to choke, Potter."

Harry sighed. "It's not that bad. She respects my decisions, even if she argues about them, and she hasn't tried to put her foot down when she doesn't want me to play Quidditch or train. As long as she doesn't try to make any decisions for me, I'm fine."

Blaise nodded and finished her tea. Once Harry did the same, the tea set disappeared and was replaced by a deck of playing cards. Blaise picked up the deck and began shuffling them. "So, since you probably want some extra alone time from your pretty little raven, I think a game or two of cards is appropriate. How about it, Potter? Are you up for some five card stud?"

Harry smiled and leaned back in his chair, shrugging off his robes. "Let's have some fun."

* * *

**Special Thanks:** Special Thank you to **Nonjon** and the Nonjon yahoo group – http://groups(dot)yahoo(dot)com/group/nonjon/ - for giving me the nickname for Death Eater Children, Mini-minions. The guys and girls in that group have the greatest senses of humor, and nonjon is the greatest source of funny HP fan fiction. I highly recommend him.


	19. Author's Lament

**Author's Lament:** I recently got a review by **Kokuyo** (who was pretty insightful, if very negative) for Harry Potter and the Grim Decision and it made me pause for a while. Normally I'd ignore people who don't write fanfiction and opt instead to only tear down actual authors, but a couple of his points were things that I noticed in my writing as well. I've noticed problems in my writing before, and these were further thrown into my face by **Kokuyo**. Since I'm so good at short stories, I'm good at giving tastes and snippets into the lives of my characters. I'm not so good at delving deeper and fleshing out characters and storylines. It's recently been tossed into my face in a negative way, and its bumming me out.

It's even worse since I rarely have access to a computer over the summer, and that's where I do all of my writing. I can't even cheer myself up by writing anything. It's cool, though: distraction by friends and work are cheering me up, and I'm getting more ideas by doing a one-shot and working on my Naruto story.

I'm working on getting better at my writing, and wish to learn how to write multi-chap stories better, even if its something I just do for fun. I hope everyone who reads it enjoys it too. If you don't that's fine, but don't come at me and try to trash-talk my writing unless you're willing to share your own work, too. Constructive criticism is fine, but what I got was bordering on a flame in more than a couple things.

**BTW: I'm **on vacation and my house has no computer. As such, I have no access to the internet, so don't expect an update anytime soon, okay? I'm shooting for early July, but that might not be possible.


	20. The Harsh Truth, An actual chapter

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**A/N:** I just wanted to assure everyone that I'm still writing this story. It his not on Hiatus, and it is not abandoned. I've just been distracted by **College studying**, **Homework**, and **Team Fortress 2**. I love that game, seriously.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 19: The Harsh Truth  
By: Nanio-713**

"It's been quite some time, hasn't it? When was the last time the two of us met face-to-face?"

Death stared at Harry, and the only reason the boy-who-lived knew that Death was happy was because of the tone of his voice. Death was, once again, in his skeletal form. Saladin stood next to the door of the Room of Requirement, idly waiting for the training session to begin. Harry spun the scythe around once before answering. "It's been a couple of months, Death. I guess you've been busy with work and that deal you have with the ministry."

The sound of laughter came faintly from somewhere inside of Death's robes. "What makes you think that the ministry has me busy?"

Harry replied, "Didn't you say that you gave them the Veil? I thought you'd be helping them figure it out."

"I gave them the veil in the 14th century," Death explained. "It was shortly after Elfrida Clagg became head of the Wizard's council. They worked with the Ministry to find a way to bring back witches who didn't have enough time to grab their wand and cast the flame-freezing charm to protect them. Fate convinced me to give them the Veil, and control over Dementors, but I haven't had any real interaction with them since."

Harry's face turned red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I-"

Death waved off Harry's comments. "Don't worry about it. I know that I have deals with many people of conflicting interest and it can seem a bit suspicious. I am Death, after all."

"Why do you make all of these deals?" Harry asked as he moved to stand next to Death.

Death smiled. "Part of it is necessity, and another part fate. Some deals I make – like ours – are destined, and some deals I make merely because I find them amusing. You really shouldn't worry about them. Now," Death stood straighter, and Harry mimicked his actions. "We don't have a lot of time since you have another DA meeting today, but I've wanted to show you this trick for a while now. In order to travel through darkness, you will need to concentrate. Over time this should be able to do this by habit, but for now you need to focus. The basics are simple. You pull in the power from your scythe and wrap it around you. Then, you tell the power where you want to go. Unlike apparition, you are not projecting yourself, or imagining yourself somewhere, but telling the magic itself where you want to go."

Harry nodded and began drawing from the power of the darkness. As he wrapped it around himself, he felt his skin tighten on his muscles, and felt his hair fall flat upon his head and slightly blocking his vision. Harry hated how his powers made him look like he's been malnourished for over a month, but he figured it was to be expected and was just glad the effect didn't linger when he released it. He imagined wrapping the magic around him like a cloak, and began to think, "_Transport me across the room facing Death. Transport me across the room facing Death…_"

Harry watched as black flamed sprouted around him sporadically for a few moments before he was suddenly engulfed. The flames disappeared a second later, and instead of looking across the room at a stone was he was now ten paces in front of Death.

"Whoa." Harry exclaimed. "That was easier than I expected. Magical transportation is never that simple."

Death chuckled. "Wizards try too hard since they think apparition is supposed to be difficult. Moving your body with magic is probably the easiest thing in the world, once you realize that everything is infused with magic. You're just moving that magic to a new location."

Harry nodded and sensed that someone was approaching the Room of Requirement with the intention of entering. He looked at his watch and silently cursed. "It looks like we're going to have to finish our session now, Death. I told you that I have a DA meeting today and everyone's starting to arrive."

Death nodded and disappeared as the door opened to allow Cho entrance. Harry put his scythe away and Cho frowned. "Harry, what were you doing?"

"Just training," Harry replied. "Death wanted to show me a neat trick today, since yesterday I was busy dealing with the DA, Malcolm's big mouth, and homework."

Cho's eyes narrowed. "Harry, it's not a good idea to overwork yourself with training-"

Cho stopped mid word as a table with a small sign on it saying, "Do Not Disturb – DA meeting momentarily postponed" appeared on the table. Harry picked it up and opened the door, placed the sign on the front, and closed it once more. He turned around and moved next to Cho. The table suddenly transformed into a chair and Harry conjured another one for himself after Cho sat down.

Harry sat across from Cho and stared into her eyes. "Cho, do you want me to quit the DA and stop fighting Voldemort?"

"What?" Cho asked. "No-"

Harry interrupted her. "Do you want me to go into hiding until the war is over?"

"No Harry, I don't-"

"Do you want to break up?"

"NO!" Cho shrieked and nearly jumped out of her chair.

Harry tightened his grip on Cho's hands to ensure that the young woman wouldn't get up and leave. "Then why are you so adamant about not letting me out of your sight, and why do you always get upset when I'm about to train or spar with someone?" Cho seemed speechless for a moment, so Harry pressed on. "I care about you so much, Cho, but you're starting to smother me more than Mrs. Weasley does. You don't want me to duel anyone in the DA, you get mad whenever I talk to another girl, and now you just got mad at me for merely _training my special powers._"

"I just don't want you to be seriously hurt, Harry." Cho explained. "Every time you face off against someone else, or when you pull out that scythe, I'm afraid that you'll die. It is hard, knowing that someone is always out there planning a way to kill you. I know you can take care of yourself, but I can't help it. I sometimes close my eye and see a Death Eater who manages to get in a lucky spell, or someone behind you while your distracted. I'm always afraid that you will die in the next battle. I can't lose you like that. Not again…"

Harry frowned; he had forgotten that Cho was the only one there to watch his fight at Diagon Alley in the summer and saw when he was kidnapped, and then it probably felt like he disappeared at Hogsmeade when Malfoy and Gibbon led him into the trap. He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, who quickly moved to sit on his lap. "I'm sorry, Cho. I haven't been as attentive or assuring a boyfriend as I should be. I've been so focused on work, Quidditch, and training that we never really talked about how my training is affecting you. I should have talked to you about this sooner, instead of brushing it off as jealousy."

Cho seemed to melt into his arms as he spoke, although her shivering sobs let him know that she was still upset. "But, you do have to understand that I can't stop. I haven't been able to go on a real date with you for a while now, and I won't anytime soon, because I _have_ to fight this war. I _have_ to oppose Voldemort because there is no one else who can do what I can. I can kill Voldemort, and I can bring down his Death Eaters, but only if I have the power to do so. That's what I'm working on now: I'm training to get stronger so that I can take out Tom "Voldemort" Riddle, and I'm training you and the DA to fight off the Death Eaters. I need you to understand, because I need you by my side."

"I don't know what to do, Harry." Cho sobbed. "I-I want to help you, but I just don't know what to do…"

Harry grabbed Cho's shoulders and pulled her back, then kissed her lightly on the lips. "You just have to be strong, Cho. That's all I ask. Trust that I'll be strong enough to survive, and trust that you'll be able to cover me when things get tough. I trust you to cover me when the going gets rough. And I trust you to pull me together when I feel like I'm at the end of my rope." Harry bit his lip. He didn't know if his next sentence was appropriate or not, since he didn't know _what_ he truly felt about her, but he knew that it was the best thing for the both of them. "I love you too much to believe otherwise."

Cho's breathing stopped for a moment. He _loved_ her? He had never said those words to her before this, and he hadn't truly spent much time with her recently. But still, she knew that he didn't brandish that word around. "But… how? Things haven't changed or progressed between us since before Halloween. When-"

Harry kissed her mouth to silence her. When he pulled away, he replied. "I know I haven't been around much this past week, what with all of my training and Quidditch, but I haven't felt this way about anyone else in my life. I don't know if it's really love or not, but I'm willing to bet that it is. I… I think I love you, Cho."

What followed was, at least in Harry's mind, the most amazing snogging session he had ever experienced. Even their first kiss at Diagon Alley couldn't compare to this. Their hands wrapped around each other so tightly, and their tongues were so eager to entwine, that Harry couldn't process where he ended and she began. Harry wasn't sure how long they were together like that, but once she pulled away and placed her head on his chest, he could no longer ignore the sensation Hogwarts was sending him that a lot of people were waiting outside.

"Cho," Harry whispered.

"Hmm," Cho murmured.

"We have a DA meeting to run."

"Just cancel it for today." Cho whined.

Harry smiled. "It's the last day before we go back home."

"But I need this time with you," Cho pleaded. "I need to be assured that you'll be fine."

Harry paused for a moment. "How about we do that tomorrow after we get off the train. We'll bring your parents to Godric's Hollow and I'll have Winky make us a nice, small dinner. Then, if I can convince him before tomorrow night, we'll calm your parents by having Remus will 'chaperone' us and we can spend some time in front of the fireplace, just you and me"

Cho smiled again and kissed Harry once more. "Is there anything important that you're doing for this meeting?"

Harry shook his head. "Sort of, but really I'm just planning on dressing down Malcolm and having a little review session. Nothing major is going to happen if I pull my cards right."

"Good," Cho replied. "I'm going to get Gandalf and Hedwig, if she's back from seeing your 'contact,' I'll be back in a few minutes."

Cho jumped off of Harry's lap and ran to the door. As she opened it, Ron and Hermione began the procession of students who were now shuffling into the room.

"Finally," Hermione huffed. "What was so important that you _locked_ us out of… Cho, are you okay?" Hermione moved forward in concern once she noticed Cho's tear-streaked face. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Cho replied. "Harry and I just had to talk for a bit, and I got a little carried away. I'm fine, really. I'll be back in a bit."

Before Hermione could inquire further, Cho rushed by the bushy-haired Gryffindor and out of the room, shoving aside the Slytherin trio as she ran past.

Blaise scowled at Cho before turning to Harry. "Damn Harry, I knew you were mad at her but that doesn't mean that you had to make her cry."

"It's not like that, Blaise." Harry said. "She's just in a rush. She wanted to go and get something and didn't want to miss too much of the meeting."

Blaise looked like she was about to make some sort of snide comment, but Harry stopped her by turning to the rest of the DA and speaking. "Alright everyone, since this is the last DA meeting of the semester we're just going to run through a review of all the major spells we learned so far, but before that I want to clear something up. Malcolm, could you come here with me for a moment."

Harry pulled Malcolm aside until they were both in front of everyone in the room. "Now you had a few things to say at our last meeting, and I don't think you were able to say what you wanted. Is there anything else you'd like to share with the rest of the group about what you think of me?"

Malcolm seemed pretty miffed to Harry, probably because he just called the boy out in front of the whole group, so he wasn't surprised when the Slytherin boy turned red and pointed at him. "You're hiding something from all of us! You are holding back your strength and knowledge of certain spells and abilities to ensure that you are stronger than everyone here. You killed Malfoy with a scythe to his back according to the Ministry and the Slytherins, and both of them together cannot be completely wrong."

"The ministry has not openly declared anything about me, besides the fact that I killed the Malfoy patriarch. What makes you so confident that this information is correct? Why, specifically, a scythe, and not some sort of knife?"

"You are not the only person with reliable contacts, Potter." Malcolm stated. "You told us you stabbed Lucius, and my contacts told me that you used a scythe. Such a consistent fact from such reliable sources gives me a reason to believe it. Do you deny that you didn't use a scythe in your battle against Malfoy?"

"Did you really find it so necessary to go asking around _about_ me instead of coming _to_ me?" Harry asked. "Why didn't you just ask me during a meeting, instead of trying to force information out of me through a confrontation like this?"

The crowd grumbled in agreement and Ron shouted. "Yeah, mate, why not ask Harry since he was there, instead of snooping around with your Death Eater friends? Admitting that you're asking them about Harry is pretty suspicious, don't you think?"

Ron's statement was followed by a chorus of "Yeah," "He's a spy for the Death Eaters," and "Kick him out!" Blaise and Daphne seemed quite insulted, and Malcolm bristled with anger. "You never told us anything about how you killed Malfoy! How could we know that you would actually talk about it?"

"By asking me," Harry stated coldly. Harry noticed Cho walk back into the room with Gandalf and Hedwig, so he decided to finish this conversation. "You could have asked me, at any time, about what really happened. I would have told you what you wanted to know, unless it was too personal. I have no secrets to hide about my powers."

"Fine then," Malcolm shouted. "Did you, or did you not, use a scythe against Lucius Malfoy?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "I did use a scythe."

"See? You have been hiding things from us. You don't carry around a scythe, so you must have transfigured it. Why haven't you taught us tricks like that in the DA, huh? Are you afraid that one of your students might actually become _better_ at it than you?"

Harry scowled. "I haven't taught anyone how to use transfiguration in dueling is because I don't know how to. The scythe I used wasn't transfigured; it was… conjured via summoning."

"You can perform Conjuration!" Malcolm's finger pointed accusingly at Harry again. "There's another trick that you haven't taught anyone. How can you say that you haven't been holding back when you have these skills that you haven't even _tried_ to teach this group?"

"It is because I cannot teach these skills," Harry said calmly. "I learned these over the summer through a twist of fate and coincidence and nearly died in the attempt. If I tried to teach anyone here, they _will_ die. I have not taught these skills because they cannot be learned."

"That's a lie," Malcolm countered. "If you survived the process, then why can't we? I'm sure I can go through any training that you have, and I can prove it. Try to teach me how to conjure and I KNOW that I will survive it."

Harry frowned and turned to the DA. Many members were murmuring under their breath, but whether in indignation or curiosity Harry couldn't tell. Ron was looking conflicted between allowing Harry to test Malcolm and stopping him, while Hermione looked scared. It wasn't their opinion that mattered in this case, though.

Harry turned to Cho and saw her face go blank. Tears were flowing down her face, but there was no expression that he could understand. He didn't know what she was thinking, and nearly held back on what he was about to do, but the small nod was all the assurance he needed. The turned to Blaise and Daphne, who both had stoic expressions. Daphne nodded in affirmation while Blaise shook her head in fear. Harry turned back to Malcolm to see the boy smirking confidently. "Are you sure, Malcolm? You could die, and I'd rather not be sent to Azkaban if you did."

Malcolm narrowed his eyes and raised his hand. "I swear on my magic that any actions I perform on this day are completely of my own volition, and that no other person, specifically Harry Potter, can be held responsible for my actions. This I swear."

Harry felt the magic swirl around himself and Malcolm, and sighed in disappointment. "Very well, then. I will see if you can train with conjuration."

Harry held out his right hand between himself and Malcolm, and connected to Death's power. He held back considerably, in order to not affect the group surrounding him with the Dementor's touch. It worked much better than before he killed Lucius, but he knew a few people would still feel the coldness of the dark powers surrounding him.

The group gasped as they noticed Harry's features become more pale and gaunt, but they nearly shrieked when Harry's scythe was summoned. Flames surrounded Harry's hand and the scythe suddenly appeared before the two young men. "This?" Harry asked. "Is this what you want? It is a magical scythe, capable of granting me the power to manipulate magic in ways that you could never understand. However, if you truly think that you can handle it, then grab the scythe and just hold it."

"Is that all?" Malcolm inquired.

"That is all."

"Malcolm, don't do it." Blaise warned. "You don't know what that weapon is capable of. For all we know, it could_ kill you if you don't grab it properly!_"

Malcolm ignored her as Harry let go of the scythe and it stayed suspended in the air. He reached out and grabbed the scythe with one hand before promptly fell to the floor and screamed. The scythe fell to the ground, and while Malcolm appeared to be trying to let go of the weapon his hand seemed to tighten further over it. Harry felt a rush of power and happiness surge through him. It was intoxicating. He watched the young boy struggle to get away and idly recognized that he was dying, but couldn't react to it over the surge of pleasure he was getting from the scythe. It took Blaise screaming in panic and Daphne rushing forward to grab Malcolm away that he realized the danger everyone was in.

"Don't touch him!" Harry yelled, causing Daphne to freeze an inch from the sobbing Slytherin. "If you touch him, you'll get yourself hurt."

Harry moved forward and grabbed Daphne's shoulders, easing her away from Malcolm. Then, he turned around and pulled Malcolm's hand from the scythe, causing the boy to fly back from the force he was exerting. He stumbled onto his back and screeched like a banshee, his tears falling in waves from his face.

Harry froze for a moment as he was hit with one last surge of the boy's magic from the scythe, and then put it away by banishing it. He moved forward and checked Malcolm's pulse, before casting a quick diagnostic charm. "He'll be fine. His nerves are shaken up and his magic is exhausted, but he'll recover without any serious problems. He just needs some rest."

"What the bloody hell, Harry." Zacharias yelled from the middle of the crowd. "Why the hell did you let him touch that thing? What did you do to him?"

"He did it because Malcolm would not have believed us otherwise," Blaise answered for Harry. "Many of the people in the room wouldn't have. He needed to prove that this _skill_ is not normal. It is not something any of us can do."

Harry nodded in agreement. "As most of you know, I was captured by Death Eaters in the summer. This power was one of the results of that experience. I encountered some help shortly after escaping, and was taught a few things that most other Wizards cannot accomplish, because I am the one of a handful in the world who can handle it."

The entire room was silent after Harry said this. "I assure all of you that I do not wish to harm any of you by attempting what I did with Malcolm. If any of you are uncomfortable with this revelation, feel free to ask any questions, and I will not be offended in any way should you wish to leave the DA. This is some pretty dangerous stuff, and I'll understand if you don't think you can deal with this. I won't think any less of anyone if they wish to leave."

The entire group was quiet until Cho spoke. "We've all stuck by you so far, Harry. I doubt anyone will abandon you now."

The volume of the group slowly began to grow as more people began declaring their affirmation and loyalty to the DA, and for the first time in months Harry nearly felt normal again.

* * *

**A/N2:** I'm working on three stories and have other things to do, so I'm not sure when I'll update next, but don't expect the next update to be very long.

* * *

**Omake (If you don't get this, youtube the video "Meet the Heavy"):**

Amelia Bones sat next to Kingsley Shacklebolt when she spoke to the Auror standing by the door. "Please send in the next Auror applicant, and tell him he is to come in and immediately explain why he should be accepted into the program."

The Auror nodded and stuck walked out of the room. A moment passed before the door opened and a dark-haired boy with vivid green eyes and a scar on his head stepped in the room, holding a scythe in both hands. He placed the scythe on the table where Madame Bones was sitting and sat down across from her. When he spoke, it was with a thick Russian Accent. "I am Heavy Weapons guy, and _this,_" Harry petted his scythe. "is my weapon. She weighs four point five kilograms and is capable of firing fifteen spells per second."

Harry leaned forward and practically whispered. "It takes the magical reserves of three people just to wield this weapon for _twelve seconds_."

Suddenly, Harry burst in raucous laughter. Once he calmed down, he smiled fondly and caressed the scythe once more. He froze, though, and stared intently at the handle. "Oh my god, who touched Sasha?" He sprinted to the door and opened it. He yelled into the hall. "Who touched my Scythe?!"

When no one answered, he morosely sat back down in front of the two Head Aurors. He paused for a minute before continuing me. "Some people think that they can outsmart me." He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Maybe, maybe…" He slowly raised his hand and picked up his scythe. "I have yet to meet a man who can outsmart my scythe."

Needless to say, Harry was hired.


	21. The Hogwarts Express

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**A/N:** I went through two revisions, 2 proof-reads, and one complete rewrite in order to get this done and I still don't think it's adequate. Still, it's as good as I can make it. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.

**A/N2:** I'm starting to get major writer's block, and more than a little bored, with this fic, so I think I'll step away from it for a while. It's not abandoned, nut rather lowered from it's "HIGH PRIORITY" status.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 20: The Hogwarts Express  
By: Nanio-713**

"OW! What the hell what tha–OW! Stop it!"

Harry raised his hands to protect his face as Daphne moved to smack him once more. Blaise, feeling that Daphne had enough fun smacking around Harry, grabbed Daphne around the waist in an attempt to stop her from hitting him again.

"That's what you get for nearly killing my cousin to prove a point, you filthy. _smack_ piece _smack_ of _smack_ Troll_smack_ dung!"

At every word Daphne's hand smacked some portion of Harry's arms, which were held out in a defensive position, while Blaise tried to pull her away. Cho, Hermione, and Ron stood a bit off from the pair to ensure that things didn't get out of hand, and Malcolm was behind them resting on a couch. The meeting was over and the rest of the DA had just left for their dormitories, allowing Daphne to finally get her revenge for Harry's actions a few hours earlier.

Daphne heaved in deep breaths to calm herself down. "Was it really necessary to put his life in such danger?"

"No, but-"

_Smack_! "Did you have fun torturing my cousin?"

"I didn't mean to-"

"Then what the hell was that, Potter?" Daphne forcibly pointed toward Malcolm. "If you didn't want to hurt him then why did you put him in that sort of situation?"

"Because he wanted it," Harry shouted, finally lowering his hands and staring directly at Daphne. "That boy would not have been satisfied until his little ego trip was dealt with by either resulting in my humiliation or some sort of open admission that he was right, so I opted for the second path."

Daphne raised her hand to hit him again but Harry quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist. She tried to pull her hand away only for Blaise's hand to grab her other wrist. Daphne stopped squirming and snarled. "Why didn't you just tell everyone, or demonstrate by summoning it and allowing that _power_ of yours naturally awe the crowd? Hurting Malcolm was completely unnecessary!"

"I agree," Hermione added from behind Harry. "Harry, you promised Dumbledore that your training would not harm any of the other students. How is he going to react when he discovers what occurred here today?"

Harry frowned. "He'll accept it because everything that happened was of Malcolm's free will. He willingly gave a Wizard's oath completely absolving me of all guilt to what happened. I could have let him die and been completely innocent because of that oath. Be glad that I stopped it from killing him, at least."

Daphne looked as if she wanted to say something else, but held her tongue and glared at Harry. She stepped back and slowly disentangled herself from Blaise, before staring at Harry once more in contempt.

"Daphne," Harry pleaded. "Please don't take offense to this, but Malcolm had it coming to him. He's very talented and powerful, but his confidence was becoming arrogance and you'd best be glad that it was my scythe that taught him humility instead of a Death Eater, or another duelist who wouldn't mind a little bloodshed. Yes, my way hurt, but at least the pain is only temporary. All he needs is a good night of rest and he'll be fine tomorrow."

"Oh, you're going to pay for this, Potter." Malcolm warned as Daphne was helping young boy stand up. "I'm not going to forget what you've done to me."

"Was that a threat, Malcolm?" Harry growled. "Let me remind you that any attempt to harm me will break our deal. You harm me, or refuse to teach Occlumency, and you won't learn Legilimency."

"Sod our bloody deal," Malcolm replied. "You use me as an example by nearly killing me and _still_ expect me to help you? If it weren't for Daphne and Blaise, I'd leave this group and let you burn at the hands of You-Know-Who."

"Malcolm, that's enough." Daphne snapped and turned back to Harry. "After the winter break, you and I are going to have a serious talk about our arrangement."

With that, Daphne and Malcolm walked out of the room. Blaise stuck around to say one more thing before leaving herself. "It was a bad idea, but I understand why you decided to use your scythe against Malcolm. I hold no ill will toward you. As long as it doesn't happen again, I'm happy to hold onto our arrangement."

After Blaise left with a quick swish of her cloak, Harry sat back down at his table and ran his fingers along Hedwig's wings, contemplating whether showing his scythe in that manner was right. _Did I really need to harm Malcolm? No, Death had already told me what would happen if someone touched that scythe. I shouldn't have… _Harry shook his head. Cho, Hermione, and Ron sat down as he asked the room for a bottle of butterbeer, which it readily supplied. _I needed to get Malcolm to realize he wasn't as powerful as he thought. Still…_

Harry reached out and grabbed the bottle and took a long swig. As he leaned back, he thought about all the harsh decisions he made in the past few months: convincing Bellatrix to switch sides, training the DA even harder than the previous year, killing Lucius Malfoy, and now teaching Malcolm a lesson… _Did Dumbledore ever feel this way?_ Harry mused. _Did he ever get tired of making so many important decisions? They feel so natural to make sometimes but, after Hogsmeade, how will it feel when people start getting injured, or when casualties start piling up even higher? I'm destined to fight the bastard, but everyone else signed up for the fight. I wonder what'll happen when my decisions start having more serious impacts…_

Harry decided not to dwell on these depressing thoughts as he turned to the two letters that Hedwig apparently brought him. The first letter was by Rui Chang, stating that he voted in accordance with Harry's wishes (**A/N:** See chapter 15) and that the Gringotts law, and the marriage contract abolition law were both revoked. The only good news regarding the marriage contract law was that it was revised to state that both parties must be in agreement about the marriage in order for the contract to be legal.

"Anything good," Cho asked as she closed her eyes and asked the room for some parchment. A small pile appeared on the table and she began to write a letter to her parents, and another to Remus Lupin.

Harry tossed the letter aside and picked up the other, unmarked, letter. "Partially. Your dad sent me a letter about two new acts the Wizengamot were voting on, and only one of my votes went through in the way I preferred."

"That's better than neither going your way, Harry." Hermione replied as she began flipping through one of the spell books she used for the D.A.

Harry nodded in agreement and opened the second letter, which seemed to be encrypted. After casting a few spells to decipher the text, he quickly pulled another sheet of paper from the pile by Cho and began to decode the message. Once Harry finished writing the decoded message, Harry scanned the letter and jumped out of his chair "Everyone, listen to this:

_I need help,_

_DLV is having his DE's attacking the train tomorrow, but he is not openly stating where. Warn the Aurors and Teachers to cover the London platform, and have some guards on the train. I doubt that we will attack at the Hogsmeade platform, since we have already attacked the village once and they're probably well prepared for us. Otherwise, I don't know where we will be fighting but Platform 9¾ is the likeliest spot._

_I think the DLV suspects that one of the inner circle is a spy, which is why he is announcing these attacks at the last moment. That's why I need your help. I've been watching Severus and I've noticed for a while now that he seems suspicious. I've been trying to peer into it a bit more, and I think that he's been providing information to an outside force. I tried approaching him about it, and now I fear he suspects me as a spy, too._

_If DLV gets wind of it, he will start searching his upper ranks for evidence, and when he reaches me I don't know how long I can keep my cover. It would be preferred if you get me out of here. I know you haven't spoken to the Ministry about me yet, but you have to find a way to get me out of here. I hope you will not be pressured into a tight spot negotiating for my freedom._

_Your Venom._

"Well, crap." Harry concluded. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione scoffed. "You have to warn Professor Dumbledore about the Death Eater's plans."

"But I can't give him this paper." Harry retorted. "It has my spy's plea to get them out of Voldemort's control and I can't let Dumbledore know that she's in trouble. It will put me at a severe disadvantage when I try to negotiate a pardon!"

"That doesn't matter now. What matters is warning the Headmaster about the attack!"

Harry shook his head. "No, I need to keep my contact safe. I won't risk it until I know that Dumbledore doesn't know about her predicament."

"Why don't you just rip that part off of the paper?" Ron offered. "Just give him the first paragraph and say that your contact sent the sheet like that. Or you could just rewrite the letter again"

Harry paused for a moment before chuckling and banging his head against the table a few times. Hermione blushed in embarrassment. "Thanks Ron, you're a lifesaver. I can't believe that I didn't even remotely consider doing that."

Ron shrugged. "I have my moments."

Harry quickly moved back and wrote another letter to Dumbledore explaining his spy's letter. He then ripped out Bellatrix's information regarding the attack, tied the information to his parchment for Dumbledore, and passed it to Hedwig who took the parchment and flew off without a moment's hesitation. With that done, Harry began rummaging through his pockets. Hermione, who was upset that the group was not moving to Headmaster's office, finally spoke. "Exactly why aren't we going to talk to the Headmaster of this?"

"Because," Harry explained as he pulled out a Galleon from his pocket. "We are going to be busy rounding up the DA and making our own plans."

* * *

The next twelve hours gave Harry little rest as he spoke to the members of the DA about the upcoming attack and how they were going to position themselves on the train to better prepare for the attack. Then, Harry was summoned to the Headmaster's office, via one impatient Phoenix, to discuss where he received the information and to relay the DA's plans. Dumbledore did not like the idea of Harry mobilizing the DA, but admitted that it was necessary. Harry, likewise, did not like Dumbledore's protective measures but accepted them.

"So you're not letting the first through third years go back on the train tomorrow?" Harry confirmed.

Dumbledore nodded. "I cannot place them at risk. I will announce that, due to Voldemort's resurfacing, we decided that it would be too risky to send all of the students at once. I'll just have Severus tell Voldemort I'm being paranoid in my old age and for good reason too."

"Then why aren't you placing the Auror force at the school on the train?"

"I cannot risk there being an attack on the school where the younger students will be. I have mailed a few emergency owls to the Ministry and by morning we should have another two groups to protect the train and the platform."

Harry shook his head and folded his arms. Leaning back, he glared at Dumbledore "What if they don't send another force? You know how Fudge felt about us and from what I can tell the new guy, Scrimgeour, isn't much better. He hasn't tried to support you at all and seems content to completely rely on just his Aurors. Voldemort's recruiting his way to an advantage like this, you know."

Dumbledore smiled and ate a lemon drop. Despite the loss of friendliness that he and Harry lost in the past few months, the old man recognized that Harry has gained a remarkable amount of perception and intelligence. He wondered where the boy gained this sudden insight. "You are very right, my boy. Still, the order has been working on diplomatic relationships with the Veela, Giants, and a few other magical creatures. The vampires and werewolves are, unfortunately, a lost cause. However, that was to be expected considering some of the ministry's newer laws."

"But that is not what we need to worry ourselves about. I have called in a few order members to supplement the Auror ranks on the train, and with the DA defending the students they and the Aurors should be able to hold back Voldemort's forces on either platform long enough for the train to pick up and move to another magical station. The only thing you need to worry about is staying on the train and protecting the students."

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "But Voldemort's going to be there. I have to distract him, or hold him off."

"Harry, you are not prepared-"

"Yes I am! I'm the only one with the power-"

"Power you cannot fully wield!"

Harry slammed his palm on the Headmaster's desk. "I can handle it well enough! I may not be perfect with the scythe, but I'm much better than when I fought Malfoy. I should be able to hold off, or injure, Voldemort well enough to get the train moving again. If anyone else but me or you tries than they will die, and _you_ are not going to be there!"

"Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, in an attempt to calm Harry down. "You cannot be completely sure of that. Voldemort may be unaware of your powers, but he has enough experience fighting to quickly adapt. I do not want you to get injured because you underestimate your opponent."

"Don't think me a fool, Professor." Harry retorted. "Everyone always underestimates me, and I will not make that same mistake. Training with Tonks and gaining her memories as well as her Auror experience, fighting with various forms of Voldemort these past few years, and training from to ancient beings with at least demigod powers have given me much more knowledge about how to fight than anyone else can understand. I know what I'm saying when I make my claims."

"You are underestimating Voldemort," Dumbledore stated. "The proof is in your last statement. You still think of Voldemort as you did his previous incarnations. He is not a wraith or a memory anymore. He has a corporeal form that he's now comfortable with, and has _all _of his power and knowledge to back him up. Voldemort has gained access to ancient tomes of power and knowledge since he made that diary, captured masters of various arts and used them to add to his earlier skills, and now has more than enough skill to fight off an entire Auror force without being injured. He is just as powerful as you are with even more experience. If you do not understand that then your fight will be over before it even begins!"

That took Harry back for a moment. He never really thought about how his previous encounters with the Dark Lord were balanced by some sort of handicap in Harry's favor. Still, he knew Voldemort well enough that he needed to fight the man again to prove that his past victories were not just luck. "I am aware of how powerful Voldemort is, and I am telling you that I can handle it. It's not like this is going to be the final battle anyway! It's a platform skirmish, not a full battlefield."

Harry and Dumbledore sat across each other, silently fuming, for a few moments. Harry, realizing that nothing more would get done on this night, glanced at his watch and spoke. "As interesting as this conversation is, I'd better go to bed. We both have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I hope things go well here on your side when everything happens."

Harry quickly made his way out of the room, exhausted. He made his way to Gryffindor tower in a daze as he went through numerous scenarios through his head. Even his dreams, when he finally fell asleep, were full of strategies and possible outcomes of the upcoming fight, which left a very exhausted Harry to climb onto the train and into the arms of his girlfriend once they found a cart.

Harry and Cho were soon joined by Hermione, Ron, Susan Bones, and Su Li. When asked about Marietta's whereabouts, Susan mumbled something about Harry being here and everyone nodded in understanding.

"So," Su Li asked after a minute of silence. "Should we go over some battle plans or something before the attack?"

"I think we've detailed everything we need to do sufficiently yesterday," Hermione yawned. "If you'd like, we can go over any details or parts you don't like or understand."

Harry, who was sitting in between Susan and Cho, yawned loudly and leaned over, placing his head in Cho's lap and maneuvering his lower body so that his legs or buttocks didn't hit Susan inappropriately. "I'd rather just take a nap or rest in silence. Maybe place some chess or gobstones. I just… I'd rather not have to plan right now. I've been doing nothing but that for too long recently."

Everyone in the group paused for a moment before nodding in acceptance. The group was relatively quiet, with a few calm conversations about Quidditch and Christmas plans, and one game of chess between Ron and Su Li. Harry spent the time with his head on Cho's lap, with the young woman absently running her fingers through his head. Occasionally, she would lean down and give her boyfriend a small peck on the lips.

Time passed in this quiet serenity for about an hour, until the compartment door opened to reveal the scarred, brusque visage of Alastor Moody. "Potter, you got a moment?"

"Hmm?" Harry moaned as he closed his eyes and snuggled his head further into Cho's lap.

"Potter," Moody repeated. "Come out here, I need to talk to you for a moment."

"Murr," Harry groaned as he lifted himself, half asleep, off of Cho's lap and out of the compartment. He shook his head to wake himself further before asking, "I don't suppose you have coffee or something to wake me up, do you?"

Moody chuckled before pulling out his flask and opening it. He passed it to Harry, who took a swig and was surprised to taste hot cocoa. "Wow, I always thought you carried whiskey or something. This is really good."

"I'm paranoid, Harry, not a drunkard." Moody chuckled as he took back his flask. "I have a friend in Belgium who makes some fine chocolate, but I'm not here to discuss my drinking habits with you. I'm here to talk about your little group. I've been talking to a decent amount of the green-as-grass rookies and I've heard tale that your orders were to incapacitate or, if necessary, kill the Death Eaters. Is that true?"

"I told them to kill only in a life or death situation, or if every other option they had wasn't possible anymore." Harry explained. "It's a last option for my group. I made sure they understood that."

Moody nodded. "Still, it's a dangerous idea to teach these students how to kill. It is not our place to make that form of judgment. No person has that right."

"The Death Eaters have no problem making that decision everyday." Harry said hotly.

"Were not the Death Eaters," Moody countered. "We should not be using our enemy's tactics, lest we become as bad as them. We're supposed to bring in those criminals alive so that they may face their accuser and receive judgment for their crimes by the people. That is why I have always tried to bring in my targets alive no matter what."

"Yeah," Harry replied. "But, many people who follow your logic meet their demise because of it. Not everyone has your level of skill. These 'rookies' look around every day and see family and friends cut down by those monsters. They do what they can, but every time they knock out or tie up a death eater, another comes along and frees them. Then, it's two against one, then four, then eight. The odds on homes that get attacked get worse over time because our side won't kill, not better. During those times, we have to make sure our enemy won't get back up in order to even out the odds. I'm not saying your side isn't valid, but in this war death must become a necessity when we don't have another option."

"And you're a fine example of that, aren't you?" Moody growled. "The most dangerous fighter at Hogsmeade on the light side was you, Harry, with two kills and an incapacitated Bellatrix Lestrange who eventually escaped because of no fault of yours. Just be careful; you may think your warnings are sufficient, but you never know when a pupil will take the wrong part of your lessons to heart. Any student could just consider the whole attack life and death and go straight for the jugular every time."

Harry was about to reply angrily when the train suddenly jolted, causing Moody and Harry to fall down in a heap. The compartment began shaking violently and it felt as if the train was going to fall onto its side when it slowly balanced itself. Once the train stopped shaking and showed no signs of tipping over, the two men stood up and felt a tremor, as if the train was slammed by a giant hammer. Harry quickly opened the door to his friends' compartment.

Everyone was either sprawled on the floor or hiding from the windows, where Harry could see a large line of wizards and Vampires sending spell after spell at the train. Harry felt a flicker from his powers; Death loathed it whenever a soul gets away from him, and he has a particular hatred for Vampires. "Damn it," Harry yelled. "Everyone find a defensive position and either protect the other students, or hold off anyone from getting onto this damn train!"

"We have to get out there," Moody growled. "Come on, Harry. Cover me until we find the big man himself."

Harry nodded and began to follow Moody to the exit when Cho jumped forward to grab Harry's arm. Harry looked at his girlfriend as if she were crazy while she spoke. "Harry, defend the train… from inside. Don't go out there."

"Cho," Harry pleaded. "I've told you before that I'm needed on the frontline. It's not an option anymore whether I can stay back. I told you once that you need to trust me. Please, let go and trust me."

Cho shook her head. She knew that the right thing – the _rational_ thing – would be to let Harry go. It was what he has been training for. Her head was screaming for him to let go; to let him fulfill his destiny. Cho began to ease up on his arm, and slowly began letting him go. She had to trust that he won't get himself hurt, or poisoned, or killed…

Cho suddenly clamped her arms around his once more. "No, Harry. You can't. I don't want you to go!"

Harry rolled his eyes in frustration as Moody came back from the train exit. "Come on, Potter! They're advancing and we need to close the hole our defense has made!"

Harry, unable to think of a magical way of pulling his arm free without hurting her, shifted back and planted his foot on Cho's sternum. Harry shoved her back with all his might, and for a moment worried that the young woman would dislocate his shoulder as he yanked his arm out of her grasp. Once free, Harry didn't spare a moment to think about what he just did to his girlfriend as he practically flew down the compartment and out the door.

Harry and Moody were able to take in the scene for little more than a second before a barrage of spells forced them to duck for cover. On the right side of the train there was a sharp incline due to the mountain the train was circling, and on the left side was an open field about one hundred yards wide that then turned into the field. The Death Eaters were slowly advancing as they cast multiple spells at the train and its occupants. Harry looked to the front of the train and noticed the locomotive car was knocked off the track and now lying on its side.

Harry began casting multiple spells at the nearest Death Eaters as more Aurors and Order members climbed off the train to help defend. Death Eaters used conjured and summoned rocks, as well as trees, to block and dodge spells as the Auror force mainly used magical shields. Remus, Shacklebolt, a crazy-looking old man Harry remembered was called Elphias Doge, and a recently arrived Bill Wasley split into two pairs and moved to opposite sides of the train as they began chanting and placing crystals at specific points around the train.

"Marlin's beard," Moody growled as he glanced back at the four men. "Creating that barrier was supposed to be a last resort. Hogwarts will be alerted the second that barriers up, but since we're in the middle of nowhere it will take time before we get reinforcements."

"That's bad," Harry growled as he ducked behind a boulder to avoid a cutting curse. "They're spread out too wide to concentrate our attack. We need to get them to congregate so we can attack and incapacitate them all at once, or we're going to be at a stalemate until Voldie decides to make an appearance."

"It's still a risky move." Moody grunted and shuffled to the left, narrowly avoiding a bludgeoning curse. "They'll be stronger in a large group, with better barriers since more people will be able to include their magic, but if we can get keep them grouped together and wear them down with a barrage of spells, it may work."

Before the two men could continue planning, a small explosion rocked the last compartment on the train, throwing debris in various directions and nearly injuring Shacklebolt. A nearby Auror jumped into the cart for a moment before making a few hand gestures to Moody. "It's alright, lad. No one on the train is seriously hurt, but there are a few minor wounds. Quick, grab a few Aurors and move closer to the front compartments, and then start trying to pick off the men at the edges. I'll do the same on the other side."

Harry nodded and was about to head off when Moody grabbed his arm. "I don't agree with this, but you're right about one thing; now's not the time to be holding back. Pull out your blade, soldier, you're going to need it."

Harry nodded and put away his wand before summoning his scythe. His hair grew and became lanky once more, falling limply to his shoulders His face and arms grew pale and gaunt, yet Harry never felt so strong. Harry knew that if he was facing a mirror, he would look as if he was about five minutes from dying. He signaled two Aurors as he sprinted toward the front of the train.

He held out his scythe and fired off a few spells as the two Aurors caught up to him, then sliced the blade through the ground while casting a spell, causing a wall of rock to raise from the ground. Harry looked over the wall of rock and saw three Death Eaters slightly to his right, then six more ten feet to the left, about two dozen more enemies further down the clearing, and from there he couldn't tell. It didn't matter, though; that side of the clearing was Moody's problem. "Alright you two," Harry said to the Aurors. "Cover me by attacking anyone who I'm not fighting. We're trying to gather the Death Eaters to a central point and then using large area spells to take them down. If I'm captured or killed go find either Shacklebolt or Moody for instructions."

The Aurors, remembering Shacklebolt's orders to follow "the man with a scythe" when necessary, both nodded. "Good," Harry said before jumping over the conjured rock and firing three spells in rapid succession. The Death Eaters were being pushed in the direction that Harry wanted as they cast numerous spells in which he dodged or blocked with a shield. A few spells managed to shatter his shields and nearly hit the Boy-Who-Lived, but Harry always managed to twist or "darkness jump" (which is what Harry called the form of apparition Death taught him) out of the way.Soon the three Death Eaters joined with the group of six that Harry led them towards. The two Aurors covering Harry were joined by four more as they trailed Harry, and were now conjuring and summoning cover, like rocks and trees, behind the boy.

The fight became progressively harder for Harry, as the large group refused to be pushed back any further. Any time Harry was within fighting range with his scythe the entire group of Death Eater's would ignore whoever they were fighting and attacked Harry until he pulled back to where the Aurors were. He tried using shields and conjured walls to protect him, but the spells were too many and too powerful for him to keep at bay. Harry growled at the situation while standing behind a boulder with a small group of Aurors. He couldn't push them back without help… _That's it! _Harry's mind exclaimed. He used his scythe to try to contact Saladin, who arrived next to Harry in a burst of flames. Without any preamble Harry shouted, "We need to push this group further back to group all of our enemies into one mass and then destroy them all at once. Help me push them back while everyone covers us."

Harry didn't bother to wait for a response from Saladin before jumping forward and attacking once more. However, before Harry could reach the group of Death Eaters a large amount of popping sounds to his right caught his attention. Harry turned to see a group of ten Death Eaters apparate onto the scene and immediately lay into the Auror defense. With the numbers now horribly unbalanced, the group of Aurors began retreating back tot the train and using cover fire to hold off the Death Eaters, while Harry and Saladin attracted the main force of the attacks in order to let the Aurors retreat.

"It seems we're a bit late," One of the newcomers – a male by the sound of it, in Harry's opinion – called out. "Bellatrix, come help me out with _him_. Everyone else spread out." As the new Death Eaters spread out, the Death Eater focused his attention on Harry. "I've been looking forward to seeing you and your friends since the Department of Mysteries."

Harry groaned as the two attackers began slinging spells in his direction. Harry wandlessly cast a golden barrier around himself before jumping forward and slashing his scythe at the masked Death Eater. Harry's enemy ducked under the spell and jumped back, following up with a cutting curse. The spell smashed into the golden shield and dissipated, while Saladin jumped forward to attack other Death Eater's intending on ambushing Harry.

The Boy-Who-Lived lost track of time as he deflected the attacks of both of his opponents. He knew Bellatrix was holding back, but even so she was putting forth a great offense in order to keep her supposed ally from realizing that she was going easy on Harry. Harry himself was trying to connect to Bellatrix using a mind probe, but wan't having much success.

A quick glance to his surroundings announced to Harry's jumbled thoughts that Saladin and the Aurors were beyond him and his fighters now, attempting to keep them from helping the unknown Death Eater and Bella. After the man managed to break Harry's shield he blindly fire-jumped, belatedly realizing that he was now behind Bella. She did not immediately jump away, so he wrapped his arms around her, released his scythe, and unleashed his wand from his holster to place it by her neck. "Try to hit me now, death-man!"

The death Eater paused, gauging whether he thought Harry was bluffing, as Bella connected to Harry's mind. _**Are you crazy? Rookwood's crazy enough where he really would shoot first and ask questions later.**_

_It's giving us time isn't it?_ Harry replied, trying to keep his thoughts on the fight and not on how he was noticing how much Bellatrix has recovered from her stay in Azkaban.

_**Enough to figure out what spell is powerful enough to drill through two people!**_ Bellatrix snapped. _**What's your plan?**_

Harry slipped a coin from his pocket into hers. _The pot-maker, Harry Potter, can be found at Number 15 Godric's Hollow. Grab the coin and say my name to activate it, and once you're safely inside block the fireplace – you must know one trick to keep that thing sealed – and don't allow anyone access until I return. I haven't negotiated for your freedom, yet._

_**What? You haven't? Then why the bloody hell are you giv- Harry? Is that a… spare wand I'm feeling?**_

_Just go, bitch!_ Harry yelled mentally as Rookwood raised his wand. Before he could attack, though, Harry raised his wand and yelled "_Stupefy!_" before jumping back and kicking Bellatrix away from him (perhaps a little too hastily, Harry would later admit). She tumbled forward and rolled as Rookwood fired another volley of spells, which Harry avoided by fire-jumping past them and slashing at Rookwood's midsection.

Bellatrix quickly righted herself and stood facing Harry, her arms balled in fury. "Curse you, Harry Potter!"

Rookwood blinked a few times, wondering whether or not he'd just seen Bellatrix disappear in a flash of blue light, before turning to Harry, who smiled. "She should be talking to Auror interrogators by now. I doubt Voldemort will have a chance to release her again."

Rookwood snarled as he reached into his pocket, quickly pulling out what appeared to be a dung-bomb from a distance. "You think you've won, boy? The fight has only just begun!" He threw the pellet ten feet forward, between himself and Harry, and instead a small plume of acrid smoke arising, a giant column of smoke blew from the ground, which cleared to show the long, flowing robe of Lord Voldemort.

"Ahh, young Harry." Voldemort hissed. "I asked my men to throw those pellets only when you were alone." He looked around to witness the ongoing battle between the Death eaters and Aurors. All of them were too occupied to notice, or possibly care about, their newest arrival (most likely because he still hadn't done anything).

Harry however, was all too aware of the Man's presence since the man immediately began casting more spells than Harry thought any human was possible of throwing in rapid succession. He dodged and lunged out of each spell's location only to find two more bearing down on him. Rookwood began stepping back as the Harry began casting spells back, to better ensure that he was not caught in the crossfire.

"So is that your new weapon from the Dementors?" Voldemort asked while sending another volley of spells at the limber Gryffindor. "It's too bad you won't get close enough to use it!"

Harry disappeared in a blast of black fire and reappeared slashing at Voldemort, but before the scythe could touch his back a quick crack announced that Voldemort had apparated and was now standing ten feet away from Harry, completely at ease. Harry tried once more, but instead of hitting Voldemort he once again found himself swinging through air. The fight became considerably more difficult for Harry, since Voldemort began casting spells one after another, with only the briefest of pauses. Harry would dodge each volley for about thirty seconds straight, before Voldemort would take a few moments to rest, which allowed Harry to counter attack. Once Harry fire-jumped to get within striking distance with his scythe, though, Voldemort would regain the upper hand. As the battle progressed, the other men on the battlefield noticed the arrival of the Dark Lord Voldemort and the Aurors quickly began pulling back, getting closer to the train in order to better protect themselves.

After three volleys of the Dark Lord's half minute spellwork, a few spells caused Harry's right sleeve to slice off, a small but significant gash to appear on his left thigh and the back of Harry's left calf to sprout three burn marks lined next to each other, as if he was burned by a flaming claw. Voldemort himself was breathing harshly, although his wide grin didn't put Harry at ease. "Come now, Harry. You must have had more than enough training to provide more of a challenge than this! I have recovered much of my former strength, but even so I'm only at about seventy five percent of my former glory. Although, you've only ever seen me when I was about one quarter to thirty percent of my old perfection, so that must be accounted for."

Harry scowled and fire jumped behind Voldemort, only to receive a kick to the stomach. The Boy-Who-Lived toppled to the ground as Voldemort turned around to face his enemy. "You pause to get your bearings whenever you do your little apparition trick. I must commend you, though; I've never met someone who could do it without the loud crack. Yet, the fire _is _a bit much."

"You bastard half-breed-" Harry spit out blood as he coughed a few times.

"SILENCE, foolish mortal!" Voldemort snapped in a booming voice. "Even with your new powers, you still lack the strength and experience to defeat me. It's like placing a newborn Anaconda next to a fully grown Basilisk to see who would win in a fight. You're too soon to be meeting me on the Battlefield."

"That may be true," Harry sputtered as he shakily made his way to his feet. He burst in another plume of fire as three Harry's, in a triangle formation around Voldemort, appeared. "But you haven't won yet."

The three wizard-boys ran toward Voldemort, their scythes at the ready, as they each ran toward the snake-faced man. Voldemort show a spell toward each of them, but it seemed to pass directly through each of them. As each neared, Voldemort cast a wall of fire around himself to stop them, but as each passed through the fire they seemed to blink completely from existence. Voldemort lowered the wall of fire in order to look for Harry, when he suddenly felt two boots slam into his chest. Suddenly, Harry appears in front of the Dark Lord, his scythe already swinging. Voldemort disapparated a few feet away, but not before Harry managed to wound Voldemort on the side. Suddenly, a series of cracks caught the attention of the two fighters, revealing the arrival of Dumbledore and the Auror reinforcements.

"And it appears," Voldemort announced with a small flourish of the unmarked side of his cloak. "That our fight has been concluded. I hope you found it as enjoyable as I did."

The first thing to catch Dumbledore's attention was a crack of apparition followed by a bellow of frustration.

* * *

**A/N:** I can feel Harry's pain. Finishing this chapter was very similar. Still, I hope you like it. Any inspirational words would be greatly appreciated.

**Also:** WOOT! Over 125,000 hits and 300 reviews! That's roughly one review for every 416 hits! Yeah! (It's better than nothing)


	22. Filler Side Story

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter is not mine. The concept of Harry being a Dementor/Grim Reaper, however, was my own idea. Any resemblance to other fan fiction is completely coincidental and unintentional unless specifically noted otherwise.

**A/N:** I have been dealing with a lot of RL drama, depression, and a hell of a lot of coursework from my college classes, so I haven't been able to write much. However, I don't want anyone to think this story is dead. To reconcile these facts I have written this side-story. This side story is **_the original plot bunny that eventually grew and spawned HPGD._** I have made some slight tweaks to the story to match continuity and coincide with where I currently am in HPGD, but the general idea (especially the story on Lily's past) is the original concept.

**WARNING:** There are some MAJOR SPOILERS from the next couple of chapters can be found in the dialogue, as well as a few AU red herrings that won't occur within the future of HPGD. I wonder which ones you think are which?

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Sidestory****: A Visit With Lily  
By: Nanio-713  
**

"So, I can finally walk between this world and the next?"

Death nodded. "You've fully accepted the power and have released yourself of the prophecy, Harry. You can now do as you like. Just remember that you cannot bring anything back. You must go with what you have, and return with nothing more."

Harry nodded absently as he stared at Death's veil. There was nothing different between this veil and the one in the department of mysteries, aside from the fact that this one was not on a dais: Both were a simple arc, with small runes running along the entire length of its borders, has a shabby cloth covering the path, and both emitted soft whispers of the souls beyond that only those who have seen death, or who are dead, can feel.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and, as calmly as he could, took a step through the veil. The difference was immediately felt. Harry would later describe it as walking through a waterfall of iced water, as the temperature felt as if it dropped into sub-zero temperatures. Once on the other side he looked around. Like some Greek myth, all he could see for miles were endless plains, with random souls wandering aimlessly. They all appeared immaculately in whatever clothes they deemed appropriate for the afterlife: suits, dresses, togas, swimsuits (which confused Harry immensely), Hakamas, Yukatas, Burkhas, and even some who were completely naked. These were what some of the souls thought was hell, or purgatory. Harry knew that the afterlife was what one made of it. If you believed it was an endless abyss, then it was. These souls imagined coming here, so they did.

He quickly shook off the idea and began to walk. It wasn't really walking. At least, not to the traditional manner Harry did in the living world. He sort of just _moved_, and to others it may have seemed as if he were blurring by, or simply disappearing and reappearing miles later. Harry focused on his mother, telling his body and soul to go to wherever she was on this plane. He occasionally looked around to see what others thought of the afterlife. He stepped from the plains, to a lush forests with trees as tall as mountains and mythical creatures not even found in the magical world everywhere. He studied a man who imagined himself to look like Legolas from _Lord of the Rings_ along with a number of others who seemed to also believe that they were Elves (or at least what Muggles thought elves looked like) before jumping through a series of islands, where the souls there seemed to be dancing, playing, and making love along the coast.

He jumped through mountains, oceans, and even major metropolitan cities before he finally "arrived" about two miles away from a small cottage in an open meadow filled with millions of different flowers and a weeping willow a few feet from the building. Some of the flowers were common sorts, like roses and tulips, while others were magical. There were even a few unique ones, like a flower whose petals were each a different color and another which shifted colors depending on what angle in which you looked at it. Harry moved cautiously forward, as each step he took seemed to prohibit him from "jumping" closer. Harry noticed some small ruffling of the window curtains and smiled. _Someone must be checking to see who I am._

Harry felt the wind spin around him, as if it was trying to force him away somehow, before eventually calming down and becoming a gentle breeze. Harry looked down at himself to see if anything was amiss. He was still dressed in his Dementor's outfit; a robe so dark it seemed to absorb the light around it, with matching slacks and dress shirt. He thought about mentally changing it (This plane didn't necessarily follow any laws of physics, so it was easily possible) but decided against it when he noticed the door open and Lily stepped out. She was as beautiful as Harry imagined his mother to be: gauging by the doorway, Lily appeared to be just an inch or so shorter than Harry, with a lean yet curvy form accentuated by a white sundress decorated with yellow runes stitched in a complicated and aesthetically pleasing pattern and a pair of simple sandals. Her venetian red hair, which reached down to her waist, was tied together with a high ponytail to show off a slender neck.

Once Harry reached just out of reach of his mother he stopped, giving both himself and Lily time to study each other. The older woman (although she barely looked a year older than her son) took a half-step forward and hesitantly reached out to touch her sons shoulders. "Is… Is this really you, Harry?"

Not trusting his voice, Harry simply nodded. Lily quickly moved forward and took the young man into his arms, squeezing him as if she was afraid he would somehow disappear forever (which was a very possible thing for Harry to do in the afterlife). Harry took the moment to close his eyes and attempt to remember everything he could about the moment. He buried his face in Lily's hair breathed deeply, taking in her essence, while the two clung to each other for dear life. Harry didn't know how long the two stood there hugging, nor did he care. After a time, though, Lily finally released Harry and pulled him into her cottage by the hand.

The inside of Lily's cottage was tastefully decorated with mostly wooden furniture, and a few more modern items like sofas, electrical kitchen appliances, and a television. It has a tasteful, delicate feel that Harry often associated with the more domestic women he knew, like Ginny and Hannah Abbott. Lily led Harry to a small table with two cushioned chairs and made Harry sit before waving her hand toward the kitchen and sitting across from the boy. "So," Lily started as a tea set floated from the kitchen onto the table in front of them. "How did you get here, Harry? I wasn't aware of your passing, and I'm sure I would have found that out the moment it occurred."

Harry touched the pot, which immediately began to spew steam from the small opening. After waiting a few moments to ensure the water would stay hot, he began preparing his tea while he responded. "How would you know I died? I don't see any magazine or newspapers lying about to tell you of the living world."

Lily waved absently at the telly. "That not a normal telly. It doubles as a seer's mirror as long as I focus on a specific person or place when I turn it on."

"Oh," Harry nodded. "Well, the reason you didn't know about my passing is because I'm not actually dead. Have you been watching me recently?"

Lily nodded. "I've always kept track of you, although ever since the end of your fifth year at Hogwarts it became incredibly more difficult. There were times where I'd try to check up on you and the telly would only give me smoke, while in others you were training with your defense group, or spending time with one of your… female companions."

Harry coughed into his tea before putting it down, blushing softly. "Mother, I'll have you know that I've only ever been involved with two women, and I was never unfaithful to either one."

"Then what about your little affair with dear Bellatrix?" Watching Harry's blush deepen, Lily couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, son. Whenever I saw you two begin to kiss or caress each other, I checked in on Remus or Andromeda before calling it a night."

"Yes, well…" Harry cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable about explaining his sex life to his mother. "That was more of a mutual arrangement. She was hurting, and I was there to relieve some of her pain. I was lonely, and she made me feel normal again."

Lily raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her son, clearly dubious of her sons claim. "If you insist. Regardless, you have not told me about what you are doing here!"

"I'm getting to that. As you know, I've been fighting Voldemort much more vigorously for the last year or so, and we only recently fulfilled the prophecy. What you apparently don't know is that I made a deal with the Grim Reaper to gain his abilities to destroy Voldemort."

"So that's how you managed to get here?" Harry nodded. Lily contemplated this for a moment before asking, "What did your powers cost you?"

Harry hesitated for a moment before answering, "My afterlife."

"What?"

Seeing his mother's utterly confused expression, Harry elaborated. "Gaining the Grim Reaper's powers cost me my freedom in the afterlife. Well, at least it will for a while. When I agreed to accept these powers, Death decided that I will assist him in managing the Death Eaters after my passing. Of course, he did not state that this position must be held forever. I'll spend a few centuries collecting souls and bringing them to this side before I either reincarnate or I'll quit and move on to this side permanently. Hell, I might sign up for a few more centuries if I really enjoy it."

Lily took a sip of tea to calm her down, "Do you really want to spend all of your time after you die constantly collecting souls?"

Harry shook his head. "I won't spend all of my time. I only have to collect the more powerful souls, like strong wizards, and monks with large quantities of spiritual energy. Most of my time would be spent in contemplation, ordering around the Dementors, and spending time with family on this side."

"Oh," Lily replied lamely. "I thought it was going to be some sort of crushing slave job, but you make it sound like a regular nine-to-fiver."

"Well, it will be. Death has explained that my job after I die will hardly be different from what I do now." Harry finished his tea quickly, before placing his cup on the table and standing. Harry walked a quick circuit around the room before returning to the table and resting his hand lightly upon Lily's shoulder. "So one of the reasons I came to visit was in the hopes of finally seeing my family again. Is my father around, or is he out somewhere with Sirius? Are my grandparents around? I daresay I'd love to at least see them once."

Lily took a deep breath before standing and embracing her son. "Oh Harry, let's move over here." Lily and Harry moved to the sofa and sat next to each other. Lily took Harry's hands in hers, squeezing them softly before speaking. "I have a lot to explain. Your grandparents on my side were always the restless sort, so they've been wandering Heaven and Avalon for the past few decades. I haven't heard from mum or dad since they left, and I don't keep in contact with James' side of the family."

"What about dad?" Harry enquired. "Does he not stay here with you? Did you two decide to part ways or something?"

"That…" Lily trailed off for a moment, squirming slightly as she tried to find the right words. "That's a complicated situation."

"Well, I have a week. Death said he won't need me anytime soon and the Ministry stated that they were willing to give me a week's paid vacation. I know we don't _have_ to sleep on this side, so explain away."

"The truth of the matter is that I haven't seen your father since I died, Harry."

Harry blinked. "What? He just disappeared without a trace once you two died?"

"Not exactly," Lily drawled. "The thing is that I'm a seer, Harry, in case you haven't guessed."

Harry furrowed his brows in confusion. "I thought you were a potions mistress?"

"I was officially a potions mistress, but I had the gift of second sight. My mother claimed that it came from my great grandmother who was supposedly a renowned crystal Gazer. The Wizarding World apparently knew next to nothing about her. Regardless, the gift was fleeting, only showing me the future after life-altering events. I couldn't use it for any real divination that could get me a job."

"Anyway, in my younger days it only happened once or twice. I foretold that a Professor would slip down a flight of stairs on his way to meet a young Ravenclaw he was having an affair with and would get fired, and that Remus would enroll in Hogwarts and find those who would accept and care for him throughout his life. It was when I was shortly after taking my O.W.L. in Dark Arts that I received the most troubling future I would ever find."

Harry's look of confusion deepened. "What are you talking a… oh."

Lily nodded, apparently too absorbed in her retelling to wonder how Harry seemed to know what she was about to say. "I was wandering the grounds trying to cool off after a grueling written exam when I caught your father and Severus Snape trading insults. Severus whipped out his wand and fired a tripping jinx, but James dodged and used a customized spell to hand Severus upside down. I tried to get James to let the poor boy down, but James refused saying he only would if I would admit I thought he was attractive. I think his exact words were 'Come on, Evans. I'm a lot better looking than this bloke, aren't I?'"

Harry raised his hand to stop Lily from continuing. "Wait a minute; I thought James attacked first and that he asked you to date him?"

Lily looked just as confused as Harry. "Who in blazes told you that? James never fired a shot first in order to claim self-defense to escape trouble. That's why he always used his cocky attitude to goad his enemies. Who told you that nonsense?"

Harry paused for a moment before shaking his head, promising himself that he was going to do some research on pensieves. "Never mind, just continue."

Lily watched Harry skeptically for a few moments before nodding. "Anyway, it was while I was watching this arrogant little snot pick on an old friend that I got a feeling that I was going to marry him or doom the wizarding world to destruction."

"A feeling?"

Lily nodded. "That's how my visions worked. A deep feeling of dread in my gut and a stray thought I know wasn't mine. I was so shocked by this that when James released Snape and the boy called me a mudblood, I completely snapped at him. I sort of regret destroying our friendship over a misguided attempt to not lose face in front of the Blood-purists that Snape worked so hard to keep off of his back."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, that man _really_ deserved to be forgiven for being such an ass. Well, you have a lot more sympathy for Snape than I do."

Lily glared at Harry. "I know about your past with Severus, so I'll forgive that comment, but when I knew him he wasn't nearly so vengeful. He was really misunderstood. It wasn't until after I severed ties with him and we graduated that Snape became such a vindictive person. Regardless, we're moving far off topic."

"I fought very hard against the vision I received. I avoided James and did as much as I could, and restricted the times I spoke with Remus. It was when we started hearing rumors about a Dark Wizard collecting followers that I realized that there was little I could do to avoid fate."

"So wait," Harry said. "You mean to tell me that your entire marriage was a sham? That you only married dad out of obligation?"

Lily shook her head. "No, I'm just saying that it wasn't one of those cliché 'opposites attract and find true love' moments. Once I got James to stop being so arrogant he was a caring man, and I found myself caring for him in time. And I certainly didn't say no merely because I had to. You can have children without being married, you know, and I wasn't about to let the man bind his life to mine without being sure I was willing to see it through until the end. It just wasn't true love. I felt so ashamed after we died that I was actually relieved to be free of my own prophecy and the sacrifices I made to fulfill it that I couldn't look into James' face anymore. It felt like I had used him once everything was done. So, I ran away. I found this grassy hill and created my cottage, the flowers, and a nice defensive system that keeps everyone I don't want to visit me out. Sirius comes to visit sometimes, and once I explained everything to him he forgave my actions and we became good friends, but he never stays since he wants to spend his afterlife chasing nymphs, chasing attractive human women, and laughing it up with his fellow marauder." Lily sighed and leaned back into her sofa. "That's the way it is, I guess. Our family seems to have to constantly sacrifice themselves for the good of the rest of the world."

No one spoke for a while after this little revelation. Lily and Harry leaned back comfortably on the sofa until harry finished his tea. He placed the cup on the table in front of them and returned to lay out on the sofa with his head in Lily's lap. As his mother began running her fingers idly through his hair he began to speak. "I found Cho really attractive in my fourth year, but after Cedric died I should've expected by attempts to woo her in our fifth year would be successful. Sixth year wasn't much better, since after we started opening up to each other I found myself knee-deep in the fight with Voldemort. Our breakup was hard on us and somewhat public, since it was on the train just after an attack by Voldemort himself. Luckily, we were able to patch things up and continue being friends. I'd say we were still a bit more than that, but then my current girlfriend would get mad."

Lily snorted. "I'm sure she would. She certainly wasn't happy with the woman before you broke up with her."

"Everyone had their opinions on who would be a good matchup for me. The Weasleys wanted me to date Ginny, Ginny wanted me to date Hermione, and did you know that Malcolm Baddock once asked me to date his cousin Daphne? It completely blew my mind."

"Well, you had been spending a lot of time with that little group of Slytherins when over your winter break."

"We were training in dueling. What else was I to do?"

The visit Harry experienced with his mother continued in that same manner throughout the week. The two would wander about the house and surrounding property while trading stories and acting as a mother and son normally would. Lily doted on her son while he visited, and while he acted petulant and would chide her by saying he wasn't a kid anymore Harry was incredibly grateful for the attention. Things moved along in this peaceful manner until five days into his visit when lily asked how much time he had to visit.

"I know you said a week," Lily said as she served Harry some pancakes. "But that could mean that you would be leaving either today or in two days."

"When I said a week I meant a full week, not a business week." Harry answered. "We still have plenty of… time…"

Harry's explanation wandered off as a small chime sounded from somewhere in the house and a small breeze began circling the room. "Oh," Lily exclaimed. "Your father is trying to enter the field again."

Harry put down his fork before he could eat a bite in order to grab his mother's hand. "Can you let him visit, just this once? I would like to see my father and you can't keep hiding like this. I know you feel bad about the way you treated him in your life but you should explain things to him. Who knows how he feels about your perceived abandonment right now." Lily seemed to become increasingly agitated as harry continued to speak, so the boy stood up and took his mother into his arms. "Look, mum. I know it will be hard but the both of you will feel better after you talk about this. Who know, it may patch up your relationship to what it once was, or it'll at least allow you to be friends. Just don't leave this unresolved."

Lilly nodded and waved her hands, causing the wind to stop flowing in the room. A casual glance through the curtains showed a man harry presumed was James Potter cautiously making his way forward, as if he expected to be knocked away at any moment. He appeared to be a few inches taller than Harry, with slightly longer hair and no glasses. He was too far away to tell anything else beside the fact that he was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt.

Lily stepped away from the window and was about to open the door when Harry stopped her in order to transform his clothes (which were currently blue jeans and a pink T-shirt with "The Weird Sisters" written on it) back into the all black ensemble he wore when he first arrived at the cottage. "Okay, you can open the door. I just want to impress dad."

Lily rolled her eyes at her sons antics and smoothed out her sundress, which was the same she wore when he arrived. As Lily made her way toward James his smile grew so large harry wondered fro a moment if it was some sort of transfiguration, before it began to wilt as he noticed Harry's presence. James was about five feet away from his dead wife before he stopped walking forward. "H-how have you been, Lily? I… I missed seeing you, and was hoping we'd take a moment to catch up."

Lily fidgeted slightly before replying. "I'm very well, thanks." Lily took a step forward. "James, I-"

James put up one hand and interrupted Lily. "It's alright, Lily. I think I understand. Would you mind introducing me to this fine fellow before I move along?"

Harry's expression changed from one of anticipation, to confusion, before finally settling on shock. He almost laughed for a moment, but managed to keep himself in check lest he cause a misunderstanding that could never be repaired. Harry stepped forward and pushed his hair out of his face to reveal his scar and give James a chance to notice his bright green eyes. "Hey dad, it's been a long time. I've been hoping to see you during my visit."

James took a step back in shock. "Wha- Harry?! Is that you?" James jumped forward and took his son into his arms. "Oh my god, it is! What are you doing here? When did you die? I could've sworn you were alive the last time I checked."

"Then you should check more often then once a week." Harry grunted as his lungs refused to work properly due to his father's tight hug. Once he managed to calm James down enough to release him, Harry explained. "I'm not really dead. I've been working for the Grim Reaper and one of the perks is the ability to visit others on this side!"

James didn't seem to know how to handle this, as his smile grew awkward, but Harry didn't give him a chance to reply. "Anyway, my apparent not-death isn't important right now. What is important is that we you and mum have a nice, long chat about what's been going on the last two decades before you and I get to regale each other with hilarious stories while sharing a cup of tea… and some pancakes."

* * *

**A/N:** I originally had this idea, and wrote it, under the assumption that Harry won the final battle. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen.


	23. Repercussions

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The plot and all OC's came from my own head and all similarities to other works and characters are completely coincidental and unintentional (unless specifically noted otherwise).

**A/N:** I just wanted to start off by saying that I never planned on keeping Harry and Cho together. I'm not all that good at writing deep, complicated relationships (Hence my lack of updates of "Hokage Love, and Lifelong Friends" and "gossip") so I decided to cut that out after a while. They're still going to be friends, but for now Harry is going solo. If everyone HAS to have a pairing in order to continue reading, then I'll consider hooking Harry back up with Cho. If no one wants Harry with the pretty Ravenclaw because of how badly I've written her, then I'll hook him up with someone else. But, don't expect that much fluff since that's why I got rid of the pairing in the first place. Please let me know what you all think.

**Harry Potter and the Grim Decision  
Chapter 21: Repercussions  
By: Nanio-713**

"Merlin's uncle violating a four-year-old Manticore!"

"Watch your mouth, Potter." Moody growled as he examined the burns on Harry's thigh. "Such creative swears should be saved for a real wound. This is nothing."

"What, are you not paying attention? Those are third degree burns! I'm amazed Voldemort's spell didn't reduce my leg to a hunk of charcoal." Harry leaned back so that his back was resting against the train. Moody cast a few spells to reduce the burns on Harry's leg while the young boy watched the Aurors repair the train and add defense posts in case the Death Eaters returned. As Dumbledore finished repairing a large gash on the side of one Auror and turned toward Harry, the Young man resumed talking. "So how did the battle go on your end? Any memorable downfalls? What happened to the Vampires, anyway?" Harry was particularly curious about the answer to the last question. '_I was looking forward to harvesting a few souls for Death._'

"They were distracted by your friend until he was overwhelmed by a surprise attack," Moody said. "As for the Death eaters… we were steadily losing ground, but no one was killed and no enemies reached the train. It was a close call, too; the Vampires mostly gathered around the southern end of the train, and two nearly managed to break through our defenses before your swordsman friend slashed off their hands. Other than that, there were a few cases where we had to stop quite a few students from fleeing the train."

Harry chuckled. "You should have let them go. If they were stupid enough to try and run away when Vampires are loose, than they deserve whatever the dark munchers were planning to do with them."

"Wouldn't that have defeated the purpose of what we were doing?" Moody asked.

"I prefer to think of it as Darwin's law in action." Harry retorted as Moody used a spell to wrap what was left of Harry's injuries. "Were any of them DA members?"

Moody shook his head and stood. "No, they fired spells from the windows to help us, but they stayed in the train."

Dumbledore arrived as Moody brushed himself off, his eyes twinkling brightly. "Well Moody, it seems you did a superb job of holding off the Death Eaters long enough for reinforcements to arrive. I'm most impressed at how effective your, and Harry's, tactics proved to be."

Moody scoffed. "There's no surprise, Dumbledore. We've got better men and more determination than that of our enemy. The fact that we had two powerful combat mages also helped."

Harry rolled his eyes at Moody's compulsive need to be technical about everything. "We've had a lot of practice. Where is Saladin, anyway? I haven't seen him."

"He suddenly vanished when the Death Eaters and Vampires overwhelmed him. He took a few bloodsuckers with him, though, so I don't know if he's alright."

Harry frowned and Dumbledore sighed. "I hope he wasn't seriously wounded. This entire procedure went so well that I'd hate to see everything spoiled with a casualty. But now is not the time to worry about something we cannot answer at the moment. How are you feeling, Harry? Do you need a trip to Madame Pomfrey?"

"No," Harry grumbled as he tested out his healed leg. "I should be fine until I get home. All I need is a couple of salves and some bed rest. Then I'll check to see if my fellow 'combat mage' is alright."

"Well then, you should be getting back on the train. It should be getting ready to take off once more shortly." The train whistled loudly, as if to prove Dumbledore's point.

Harry, not quite ready to see Cho and the others again quite so soon, asked, "Wouldn't it be alright if I just apparated home?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry as if he were being particularly dense. "Harry, if you suddenly disappeared than the student morale would plummet because they would think you were too injured to complete the train ride. You must get back on, for the students state of mind if nothing else."

Harry grumbled and nodded as he began moving back toward the train, absently trying to think of the possible scenarios he was returning to. Suddenly remembering the other scenario he had to deal with, Harry turned around quickly and called out. "Headmaster, I just remembered that I need to meet with you and Madame Bones as soon as possible."

Dumbledore, who was walking away to speak with the Aurors, stopped walking and turned back to Harry. "May I ask why?"

"It has to do with what occurred today, sir." Harry replied, not quite looking Dumbledore in the eye. "It is very important."

Dumbledore nodded. "I need to meet with her tomorrow evening to discuss tonight as well. Why don't you stop by my office tomorrow around seven? I'll send Fawkes to retrieve you."

Harry nodded, grateful that Dumbledore was willing to see him so easily. As the young man walked back onto the train and back to his compartment, he absently waved and conversed briefly with several students from Gryffindor and the DA. Harry knew he was stalling, but he seriously did not want to talk to his friends at the moment. He was tired, angry, slightly depressed, and because of his powers he was also jealous of Saladin for fighting the Vampires without him. These did not help when Harry knew there was going to be more than one person ready to chew his head off when he reached his destination.

When he finally did make it to his compartment, he was not surprised to see Cho crying into Susan's shoulder, with Su Li rubbing her back. Hermione and Ron were sitting on the other side of the compartment, looking as if they had just run a marathon. Cho's friends looked up and glared at him for a moment before returning their attention to Cho, who seemed oblivious to Harry's arrival. Ron merely groaned when he saw his friend. "Geez, mate. Those Vampires can take a spell. Hermione and I merely collapsed casting those sunlight charms. They nearly drained all of our energy."

Harry smiled weakly at his best mate before turning back to Cho, who raised her head in curiosity and was now wiping her face free of tears. Before Harry could say anything Cho stood, rushed over to Harry, and smacked him hard enough to nearly send the boy tumbling back into the hall. "What the bloody hell, Cho?"

"How DARE you do that to me?" Cho spat. "I was worried about your safety and you literally kicked me away! How could you be so cruel?"

"Cruel?" Harry snarled. "I was going to protect he lives of everyone on this train and you were stopping me!"

"You could have found a better way to do it!"

"You wouldn't let go even when I asked you to trust me!"

"Is your need to fight Death Eaters so strong that you had to physically knock me away?"

"Are you so blinded by your emotions that you can no longer see why I have to fight?"

"That is enough, both of you!" Hermione snapped at the two as she moved to push Harry and Cho away from each other. "Cho, calm down and speak to Harry like a rational adult. Harry, curb your anger and think before you speak. I'm going to check on Ginny, and when I come back you two better have had a rational conversation. Come on, Ron."

The redhead groaned as he pulled himself upright and followed Hermione to seek out Ginny. Su Li sighed as well before excusing herself and Susan. "We're going to check up on Marietta and the other Ravenclaws. We'll be back when you're done talking."

Once Cho's friends made their way out of the compartment, the two eyed each other warily before sitting down across from each other. The couple didn't speak for a few minutes before Harry finally found the courage to stop. "Why wouldn't you let me go? All I was asking for was you to trust me to survive, which I did. Why didn't you trust me?"

Cho sighed and shook her head, fighting to hold back more tears. "It's not that I didn't trust you. I did, and I-I still do. I was just… scared. The Death Eaters were out there attacking, and I was scared of what might h-happen to all of us. I just wanted to be n-near you; to be sure that you and I… that _we_ would get through this together."

"What could I have done from here? Most of the guards on the train have no strategic training, so the plan revolved around me and Moody leading everyone."

"I didn't know that!" Cho exclaimed. "_You_ didn't want to talk about what you were planning! The only thing I saw w-was you exerting yo-your hero complex by rushing off to fight. How was _I_ supposed to guess _your_ motivations when you never tell us anything about them? The only things your friends and I learn of your conversations with Dumbledore beyond whether you think he is being helpful or not. I was worried that you could get yourself killed!"

Harry scowled. "I've been training during nearly all of my free time, minus Quidditch practice and our dates, in order to become strong enough to fight the Death Eaters. How could you expect me to hang back during a fight?"

"How could you expect me to sit back and smile while you fought?"

"I didn't expect you to sit back and smile. I expected you to trust me and keep yourself alive. Cho…" Harry absently rubbed his temples with one hand and took a deep breath, but was interrupted before he could continue.

"I can't just watch you run off into battle. You know that I have problems controlling my emotions, yet you completely disregarded that when you shoved me off. How do you expect something so large without giving back any sort of consideration on my part?"

"Because," Harry replied. "This is one thing that cannot be changed. I didn't ask to fight Voldemort; I was thrown into this time and again. I have to ask you to let me do this because there is no option for either one of us. I have accepted that. Can you?"

Cho paused for a moment and looked out the window, watching as the train finally began to move and slowly pick up speed. "No, I can't."

A long pause followed by this statement, broken slightly by Cho's occasional sobs. Harry shook his head and held back for as long as possible, but he knew that he had to say it. "Then we both know what that means now, don't we?"

The tension that filled the compartment after Harry's statement was so thick that Harry could barely breathe. "You- you're breaking up with me?"

Harry sighed and wished that he wasn't the cause of the tears streaming down Cho's face. "We… we can't work right now. I've been spending all of my time training and you just admitted that you can't handle the pressure of being with me right now. This war with Voldemort is too big. E-Even my… our… own happiness has to wait until after this is all done." Harry took a step back and turned away from Cho. "I'm sorry, Cho. It's just that… We need time to think about what we both need, and what we can actually offer."

Harry turned to walk out of the compartment when Cho screamed, "But you said you _loved me!_ What happened to _that_, huh? Were your words really that shallow?!"

Harry left the compartment without another word. Shortly after all of their friends returned, Harry finally moved away from the compartment to make a round about the train to raise morale before anyone had a chance to ask about what happened. He walked through the train corridors mindlessly, indulging in the occasional greeting and a bit of idle chit-chat, but for the most part he kept to himself. It wasn't until he reached the final compartment that he broke from his mindless stupor and realized that he had nowhere else to go. He sighed and prepared to go back to his compartment and deal with the awkwardness awaiting him when the compartment door next to him snapped open and Blaise Zabini ran into Harry.

The duo collapsed to the floor and stumbled around for a bit before Blaise was able to raise herself onto her hands and knees in order to see who he hit. "What the Bloody hell?! Who the – oh, it's you."

As Harry reoriented himself, he realized that Blaise was looking down at him with her eyes narrowed and her lips tightened. _She doesn't look happy. _"Hey Blaise, are you looking for something?"

"No," Blaise replied. "But I thought I heard someone out here, and now I'm wondering why you're directly outside of our compartment."

The raven-haired Gryffindor pondered the query for a moment before deciding that there was no harm in telling her. "I had to get away from the others. Cho and I… yeah, we just broke up."

Blaise lifted herself from the floor and reluctantly helped Harry to his feet. Harry looked inside the compartment expecting to find Malcolm and Daphne, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Blaise appeared to sense his question, though. "Daphne and Malcolm are being debriefed or something after catching a few Slytherin's trying to get outside and help their parents. Apparently Pansy and Crabbe decided that the Dark lord was more important than finishing their education."

Harry chuckled a bit, but when he noticed that Blaise wasn't smiling he cut it short. "Were there any injuries, or did something go wrong."

"No," she replied curtly. "I'm just thinking about… nevermind. Daphne's just angry right now, which means you should probably make yourself scarce."

"Yeah, yeah I should."

Harry sat there for a moment, contemplating whether or not it was worth leaving considering he had nowhere else to go. When Blaise realized that Harry had no intention of moving along anytime soon she sighed dramatically. "So what happened between you and Cho?"

Harry was surprised at how quickly and easily his account of what happened on the train with Cho came out, but he would later admit to himself that it felt good to have _someone_ to relay it to without worrying about them judging him. Blaise listened silently to his explanation about the train ride, Cho's unwillingness to let Harry run off and fight, and Harry's not so gentle response. He even gave her a full account of his fight with Voldemort and a word-for-word account of his final conversation with Cho. After he finished Blaise stayed silent, and after a couple of minutes he added, "I know it wasn't the best idea – kicking her off like that – but I knew that if I tried to magically extract myself she would've found a way to come along, which would have been worse for both of us since I don't know what would've happened."

"It certainly wasn't a shining moment for you, I'll admit. But really, there was nothing else you could've done. You had places to go. Dark lords to fight. You couldn't hold her hand and feed her a bottle, too."

"Hey!"

"Look," Blaise held her hands forward in a comforting gesture. "All I'm saying is that Cho wants more than you can give her right now. You're fighting a war right now. You don't have time to play the loving boyfriend, and it is about time you realized that."

Harry frowned. "I don't want this war to take over my life."

"But it already has! Think about it! From what I know of you two – and the rumor mill is very meticulous regarding your actions – you only ever spent an hour or two alone with Cho a week, at most. You are always studying, or training, or dealing with Dumbledore or the DA. Hell, you probably spent more time chatting with that Slughorn fellow about your parents than you did with her."

Harry opened his mouth to deny her claims, but suddenly stopped. Blaise… was right. It was always time to train, or study, or network with the DA and professors to keep him from becoming some sort of hermit. He actually spent very little time with Cho, and the time they did spend alone was usually filled with snogging. He couldn't remember the last time the two of them had a real, deep, and meaningful conversation. "Damn it, no wonder she was always so scared of losing me. We never really did anything with each other to begin with. She wasn't smothering me; she was always just trying to work in some time for herself."

Blaise nodded. "Time that you don't have. You honestly shouldn't be 'dating' anyone, considering your schedule."

"I could've used this time over winter break to spend time with her."

"Could you?" Daphne leaned forward and the two stared each other in the eyes. "Be honest with me. Would you be able to devote these next two weeks to furthering your relationship after that fight you described with the Dark Lord, or would you be spending every moment gaining more experience so that the next time you see him you can finally end this whole ordeal?"

Harry looked away. "I just… This is the closest I've ever come to feeling loved, and I'm supposed to just toss it away because I can't find the _time?_"

"Yes," Blaise replied. "You can't stretch yourself too thin. There's nothing in this life that's free, and if you want to win this war you'll have to pay with your time. Time that you'd rather spend living like a normal Hogwarts student, but can't because _you are not normal_."

Harry looked away and sighed mournfully, lost in thought. Blaise gave Harry a few moments to mull things over before continuing. "It's not the end of the world, Harry. There will always be other women, and other chances to make up for lost time. It's not like Cho is your one and only chance for love… if you can even call it that."

Harry looked at Blaise from his peripheral and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean," Blaise elaborated, "that you and Cho have a rather naïve point-of-view on love."

"And it would be better if we looked at things like you?" Harry inquired. "All marriage contracts and family politics? Sorry, I'm just not that cynical."

"You should be, even if just a little. Love isn't some fairy tale, Potter. It's not about how well you know someone. It's not all birthdays, anniversaries, and their favorite color. Real love," Blaise turned to look out the window with Harry. She took a moment to admire the countryside for a moment, allowing herself to feel the briefest sense of nostalgia. "The kind of love you can only hope for, isn't about knowing everything about someone. It's about understanding them."

Harry, despite his misgivings, was instantly curious; he turned forward and gave all of his attention to the woman in front of him. "I… don't understand."

"That's the point I'm getting at," Blaise quipped. "Love's not about remembering a girl's birthday or favorite color; it's about knowing why it matters. Some people hate their birthdays. It brings back bad memories. If you love someone you'll know whether they want to celebrate theirs or not, and plan accordingly. You don't need to know the 'why' of their life to love someone, but you do have to care about the results."

Seeing that Harry was still confused, she elucidated. "Look, you and Cho were very big about learning the nit-picky details about each other's past in a misguided attempt to prove you 'love' each other. It was like schoolwork; the more facts and figures you knew, the better you thought your test score would be. It's not about that. It's not about understanding _why_ you wore baggy clothing before this year, or let your hair flop around like a wet rag. It's not about figuring out _why_ you have to meet individuals alone for information sharing, or just _what_ you were doing with 'that Slytherin girl' for an hour after a DA session. It's about figuring out whether or not you _liked_ the feel of those baggy clothes and buying your next outfit based on that, and playing with your hair until you tell her whether _you_ _want_ to cut it or not. It's about trusting you well enough that Cho should be sure you won't shag that other girl while she's gone, because that's not the kind of person you _are_. These kinds of things don't need knowledge of your past, but of your present. You shouldn't worry about what someone was, but what they are."

Blaise turned to lock eyes with Harry, and for a moment he gained a brief understanding of what she was saying. "So your saying… that what I had with Cho wasn't love?"

Blaise scoffed. "Don't get me wrong; you two really cared about each other, and that could have become love. But, as you were…"

"That wasn't love." Harry and Blaise both jumped as the door opened to reveal Malcolm and Daphne, who immediately sat next to Blaise.

"When did you two get here?"

Malcolm scoffed. "Around the time the Boy Wonder called you cynical." He turned to stare at Harry, who was slowly moving toward the door. "I don't think he gets it, Blaise. He's still looking at the world with rose-tinted glasses."

After Harry left the room, Blaise sighed. "No, he doesn't get it. It's not his fault, though. There's never been anyone to show him what its really like."


End file.
